Call Me Joseph
by Kelo7777
Summary: This is an off-shoot of The Light Among Shadows. Originally this was meant to be a stand-alone, but as it's gone on, it does intersect with my other fic. I do try to keep it separate enough that you don't have to read both, but they do read better together. Hannah Rivera knows Joseph McGuire is a player, and that's exactly what she needs to get back in the game.
1. Come A Little Closer Baby

Apparently, McG has been waiting for his turn because this was supposed to be a short little two-shot, but it's looking more like it's going to be a very long two-shot that could potentially go longer...don't believe me? Check the word count.

Also, if you read this at work, or in front of your kids/parents/barista be prepared to feel the heat rise in your cheeks.

What started out as a "cute" idea quickly escalated into a very dirty romp with sweat tangled sheets and several more hours until daylight...

* * *

Come a little closer, baby  
I feel like lettin' go  
Of everything that stands between us  
And the love we used to know  
I wanna touch you like a cleansing rain  
Let it wash all the hurt away  
So come a little closer baby  
I feel like lettin' go If there's still a chance  
Then take my hand  
And we'll steal away  
Off into the night  
'till we make things right  
The suns gonna rise on a better day

Come A Little Closer Baby - Dierks Bentley

* * *

Joseph McGuire loved women. And he never really considered himself to have a type, but when he walked into the bar and saw Top and Jaz talking to a stunning brunette with legs for days, he couldn't help giving her the once over.

She had a shimmering silky red top that looked sinful even though it covered up every inch of skin and a tight black skirt that skimmed the top of her knees but hugged every curve like it had been sewn in place, and those hot as fuck stilettos with the flash of red on the soles.

She was captivating.

She had long dark hair and ruby red lips that curved in a way that made him think really dirty thoughts. Like how they would look wrapped around his...

"McGuire. Earth to McGuire." Dalton said as he called him over.

He actually had to shake that thought from his mind before he walked over to join them. There was no way he would be able to speak in her presence if he was thinking about her lips anywhere on his body.

"Get it together McG," He said to himself as he walked over to the bar.

"Hannah Rivera, this is Joseph McGuire."

"McG." He said as he took her hand in his and smiled.

Her eyes focused in on him as she smiled back and said, "Your reputation proceeds you."

Well, that's just fucking great, he thought. Does everyone have to know what he does with his spare time?

He hadn't realized he'd said that out loud until she giggled and whispered, "Kind of hard to miss when I spend most of my days listening in on your conversations."

He laughed at her comment, certain that she'd heard plenty of stories since she joined their team earlier this year.

When Patricia and Noah arrived, the group sat down for dinner and Hannah wound up on the other end of the table as Amir and Preach hadn't gotten to speak to her yet. She wasn't close enough for him to talk to her, but it did give him time to watch her without seeming like a total creep.

* * *

Hannah was happy to see Dalton and Jaz sitting in the bar by themselves when she arrived. She'd been nervous about being the first one there or having to introduce herself to the rest of the team without any sort of buffer. She'd found it strange that she knew exactly what each of them looked like, but they had mostly just heard her voice over comms or caught a glimpse of her in the background on video calls.

She also struggled with personal relationships outside of work because inevitably people would notice her scars. She still hadn't been comfortable with anyone really seeing them. At least not anyone outside the medical profession.

And now Jaz.

Dalton was aware of how she came to join the team, and that she had been in the field before she moved to the DIA. He also knew that she'd left field work after she'd been carved up and left for dead on the side of the road by Martin Urzua's men. He'd seen the images; she knew that he had.

But, she also knew he would never share that information with another soul. He hadn't even told Jaz, so she was certain that McG would have no idea either.

When she glanced towards the other end of the table, she caught his eye, and he gave her a crooked smile she was certain could drop panties from three counties away.

The man was lethal.

And it had nothing to do with the fact that she hadn't so much as looked at a man in the 18 months since that night when her life changed forever.

She knew she needed to just rip off the band-aid. If she didn't get it over with one of these days, she would find herself alone and untouched twenty years from now, because there was always an excuse not to let anyone get close.

They'd be repulsed by her scars; they'd ask too many questions, or worse, they'd treat her like she was a fragile little doll.

When she looked back at him, he was watching her with interest. She decided that she was going to see how this played out. He was a medic, so certainly some scars wouldn't be that shocking. If he asked the questions, for once, she wouldn't have to come up with some unbelievable lie because he was well aware of the brutality a guy like Urzua wielded and how her job would put her in his path in the first place.

But, most of all, he seemed like the kind of guy who knew how to _handle_ a woman.

So, she picked up her glass of wine and pressed it to her lips as she watched him over the rim. She didn't know if she had the guts to see this through, but if Joseph McGuire was game, she was going to put an end to this hiatus once and for all.

* * *

McG could feel his heart stuttering in his chest as he watched her fingers play over the rim of her glass. What he wouldn't give to have those fingers on his skin.

He could sense that she wasn't as confident in herself as a woman that looked like her should be, and he was dying to find out why. He'd be lying if he said it didn't piss him off that some asshole was probably responsible for the little hint of doubt that reflected in her eyes when he made eye contact with her.

He'd watched her all through dinner and recognized the easy manner in which she interacted with Patricia, Noah, Dalton, and Jaz. She was comfortable with them.

When she spoke to Amir and Preach who were seated between him and the woman that held his attention, he noticed she was continuously pulling on the collar of her blouse.

There was a red bow that laid against her neck that looked as soft as butter, yet her fingers brushed over it like it was sandpaper against her skin. He wanted to run his fingers over it, pull it loose to lave the skin beneath it, making her forget any discomfort she might have felt.

God he was never going to make it through this dinner.

After the group finished their dinners and a round of coffee, they'd decided to head back to the hotel bar for a little more casual conversation. It was rare for the team to be together, so they were all eager to learn more about their counterparts.

Patricia had been the first to leave. She'd been chatting with McG and Hannah when he'd ordered a round of tequila for the group.

"That's my cue to exit," Patricia had stated as she handed her shot to McG. "I'm sure you'll take care of this for me."

"Gladly." He said as he swallowed it down.

"What about you? You're not going to make me drink alone are you?" He asked as he let his fingers skim over her knuckles when he placed the shot in her hand.

"I'll even hold the lime for you." He said with a cheeky grin.

"No lime. Just tequila," she said as she downed the shot.

"My kind of woman." He said as he watched her tongue glide over her pretty lips.

He'd lost track of Amir and Noah as soon as Hannah had taken up the seat beside him when he'd been talking to Patricia. Dalton, he was sure was in some quiet corner observing, and hopefully, Jaz was with him, because the alternative was the little ninja popping up beside them and ruining the moment he was sure they were having.

When he saw Jaz make a run for the elevator, he smiled. Dalton was surely not going to be far behind her.

"They're good together aren't they?" She asked as she had clearly observed the pair same as he had.

"Who? Jaz and Top?" He asked wanting to talk about anything but his CO and the woman that he'd come to love like a long lost sister.

He'd sensed her nerves creeping to the surface though, so he followed her lead.

"Yeah. Never thought I'd see the day. Top might be the fly by the seat of his pants kind of guy when he's on a mission, but he's not exactly big on breaking rules. His or anyone else's. But, Preach, and I have been watching them orbit around each other for three years. She was the sun that just kept pulling him in until he was powerless to stop it."

"It was kind of like watching two cars careening towards each other on a satellite feed. They were miles apart, but we could see it coming, they had no clue until there was glass exploding in every direction and it was far too late to stop it." He said as he acted out the two cars colliding before her earning him a smile and a little hint of a giggle.

He could work with that.

"I guess for some people it's like gravity." She said as she looked off towards the street lights in the distance.

"You know, some man is going to look at you that way one of these days. You are far too beautiful to go unnoticed." He said as he grazed a finger under her chin and brought her eyes back to his.

Her eyes fell back to the bar again as he watched something shutter the fire in her eyes. He hated that look. He hated even more that he might be responsible breaking the spell.

"Hey, I'm not trying to feed you a line. You're a knockout. You must know that." He said as he leaned towards her making sure she had to look at him.

"Walk me out?" She said as she stood.

He was taken aback, the air around them had changed just like that, but he would walk her to her car and make sure she was safely tucked inside before he walked back to his room and thought over what had changed.

* * *

The parking garage was on the lower level, so he started to press the down button, but her hand blocked him as she hit the up button instead.

If she was comfortable leading the way, he was more than happy to follow.

He held the door as she walked into the elevator before stepping in behind her and pressing the button for the eighth floor. When he leaned back against the wall beside the panel, he watched her as she let her fingers reach forward and spread out across his chest.

She was tentative, and timid which was so far from what he'd expected from a woman who could have any man falling all over himself to call her his own. She was sweet and sexy, and she had a body that was meant to be worshipped for days.

When he'd leaned towards her and reached out to touch her skin she'd flinched. It was barely noticeable, but he recognized it all the same.

He couldn't understand how any man could dim the light that should be shining in her eyes, but the more he observed her, the more he thought she'd been hurt. Badly.

She'd definitely been flirting with him throughout the night, but he knew now that he needed to let her dictate how this was going to go. They'd made their way to his door, and with his key in hand, he waited. He was going to give her an easy out if she'd needed it.

"Hannah, I want you to know that we don't have to do anything tonight. I mean, I'd love nothing more than to make you feel good, but if you want to pull back on this, we can just have a drink and talk, or go back down to the bar if you're uncomfortable." He said.

McG was definitely a player, he would never dispute that, but he would never willingly cross lines that a woman didn't want him to cross.

Ever.

When she looked at him, there was a shimmer of sadness in her eyes that stabbed him in the chest, but she took the key from his hand and flashed it in front of the sensor until she heard the lock click. She opened the door and stepped over the threshold waiting for him to close the door.

Once the light from the hallway was locked on the other side of the door, she pushed him against it surprising him as she pressed her lips to his seeking permission.

He'd let her drive the kiss as her fingers wound into his hair and his hands landed safely against her hips.

"God, you have no idea how beautiful you are." He said as his eyes found hers once they'd adjusted to the low light.

When her eyes cast down, he couldn't ignore it anymore.

"I know someone hurt you. I can see it in your eyes, Hannah. I need you to know that you can trust me. I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, so if you want to go back down to the bar at any time, say the word."

"Can I call you Joseph or Joe?" She asked as she looked up at him trying to work out some complex thought he saw flitting through her head.

"Of course." He said as he led her to the edge of the bed and sat down beside her.

"Joseph, you seem like a Joseph to me." She said as she smiled at him. "I'm a little out of practice I suppose."

"How long has it been?" He asked. "I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me that."

"No. You seem like a good man. I know you're a good man. And I'm probably going to ruin the moment by telling you what I'm about to tell you, but I'm afraid this is never going to work if I don't explain myself, and god I want this to work." She said as she looked into his eyes silently begging him to listen to her and not high tail it out of the room when she was finished.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere. We've got all night if you need it, and nothing happens that you don't explicitly ask for. Okay?" He told her as he grabbed a couple of glasses from the table a bottle of water.

She nodded, as her hands fidgeted with the bow that graced her neck again. He felt his stomach clench when she tugged on the end allowing it to flutter away from her skin.

He'd tried to shutter the look of horror in his eyes, but he knew she'd caught it anyway.

"Hannah." He said as his hand brushed her hair over her shoulder.

"Who would do this to you?" He wondered not really expecting an answer.

"Martin Urzua." She said so softly he'd barely heard her.

"The cartel asshole?" He asked as his fingers grazed over the raised flesh in a whisper of contact.

"One and the same."

"If I'd known, we would have made him suffer." He said as he let his thumb linger over her skin.

"He's dead. That's all that matters to me." She said as she straightened her back.

"Yes. He is."

"There's more." She said. " I need you to see it because if I don't show you, I may never be able to do this and before I know it 18 months will turn into 18 years."

He'd barely heard that last part.

"Hannah, show me."

McG loved watching a woman undress for him, but for the first time in his life, his heart was hammering in his chest not with desire, but with rage. There was still desire there, but rage was the thing that was going off the charts in that moment as he watched her hands shake and her lip tremble.

She pulled the hem of her blouse from her skirt and sat trying to work up the courage to reveal something that was so deeply personal. It was a level of exposure he couldn't even fathom.

"Would it make you feel better if I took mine off first?" He asked her as he stilled her hand.

She nodded and watched as he reached back and pulled the henley over his head exposing his ripped abs.

She let her fingers bump over each ridge and laughed, "Yeah, maybe that wasn't the best idea. You're even more perfect than I thought you were with your shirt on."

"Sweet girl, I am far from perfect. I am just a man. But, one thing I can guarantee you is that there isn't a thing you could show me that would change what I think about you."

She smiled, but she didn't believe him.

"I can't even look at the scars. How can I expect anyone else to?" She said as a tear threatened to spill from her lashes.

"Hannah, no man should ever have the power to make you feel anything less than beautiful. If they do, they aren't worthy of you." He said as he gently swiped the tear away.

She nodded and straightened up once more as she steeled herself to reveal her scars to this man. She could do this. He was a medic, and if anyone was equipped to deal with this it was this man, she thought to herself.

McG watched her as she stood from the bed and turned her back to him pulling the knot all the way free from her throat. He'd tried to keep his hands to himself, but when her fingers started to shake again, he couldn't let her stand there by herself wondering what he was thinking.

"May I?" He asked as he let his fingers come to rest over the button that she'd been fumbling over.

When he felt her fingers graze over his and heard the barely audible, "yes," he'd leaned into her and pressed his lips to her neck.

He could feel her pulse hammering away beneath her skin, and he could hear her breath stutter as his fingers slipped the button loose.

"Say the word, and this stops. No matter how far this goes. Okay?" He said.

"Yes."

McG was determined to help Hannah remember how it felt to have a man make her heart flutter for a reason that had nothing to do with fear.

Once the button was free, he let his fingers coast over the silky fabric down her arms until he had her hands in his, "We can do this together, okay?"

"MmHmm." She said as she let him guide her hands under the hem of her blouse to her stomach.

"You with me?" He asked as his fingertips ghosted over her stomach making her gasp.

"Yes."

"Good." He whispered as his lips caressed the raised skin on the side of her neck before his fingers started to brush along her rib cage carrying the flutter of red silk in their wake.

He could feel the panic starting to vibrate off of her when the fabric fluttered to the floor, so he just wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his chest.

"I won't let anything happen to you. Just let me hold you." He said as he rubbed soothingly over her arms until her breathing started to slow again.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered as she shuddered in his arms.

"Baby girl, there is no reason for you to apologize."

"This isn't what you signed up for."

"First of all, I most certainly did sign up for holding a beautiful woman in my arms, and second there is no blood oath saying that you have to sleep with me. This is whatever you want it to be." He said as he felt her relax into his arms.

She surprised him when she spun around in his arms and kissed him. Her lips were soft and warm against his as she allowed her fingers to travel up to his shoulders and twist through his hair.

This kiss wasn't as hungry as the one she'd given him at the door, but it felt more intimate as he felt her lean into him. He hadn't noticed the red lace bra until it skimmed over his chest, but it made him smile that it had matched her pretty blouse perfectly.

He raised her hand to his chest and held it against his heart so she could feel how hard it was beating, "You're beauty is simply staggering."

She smiled and drew in a deep breath as she guided his hands to her back. She'd expected him to pull back once he felt the scope of her injuries, but to his credit, he didn't falter.

McG had seen all manner of scars, he had a few of his own given his line of work, but even under the cover of darkness, he could feel the deep lines that had been literally carved into her flesh. The scars crossed over each other in nonsensical patterns and bled into hard raised lumps where they bisected each other.

He wanted to curse Urzua, but he knew that wasn't what she needed from him tonight. He also knew that avoiding the scars would only draw more attention to them. So, he decided the best course was straight through.

She shook in his arms as he let his fingers slip gently down her back before he dragged them back up to her shoulders following the dips and curves that had once split open her flesh.

"I'm going to tell you something, and I want you to remember it every time you take your clothes off whether someone is watching or not." He said as he looked into her eyes.

"What?"

"You are so incredibly beautiful." He said as he pressed his lips to hers.

"Joseph?"

"Mmm," he asked as he blazed a trail from her neck out towards her shoulder pushing her bra strap as he went.

"I need you to make me feel beautiful." She said as she plucked the hooks free at her back and let her bra land at his feet.

"It would be my pleasure." He whispered against her ear.

He stole a glance at her eyes she knew to confirm what she was telling him before he sat down on the bed and pulled her over him shoving gently at her skirt so that her knees could rest on either side of his hips.

Once she was settled against him, he grazed his teeth against her neck before he wrapped his arms around her lower back pulling her breasts to his waiting mouth.

"Mmmhmmm," she hummed as he plucked at one pebbled bud with his thumb and forefinger while his lips, teeth, and tongue went to work on the other.

Within a few minutes, he had his hand pressed against her hip holding her firmly against him as she was well on her way to forgetting her own name, let alone the nerves that she'd allowed to stake a claim for the last 18 months.

All manner of wanton noises were floating from her lips, and he was absolutely devouring her like she'd been the only thing on the menu after a hunger strike.

"Fuck you taste good." He mumbled as he moved from one side to the other to lavish her right breast.

When he was certain he'd laved every inch of skin, he traced a path back to her lips, and that's when he really took her breath away.

His eyes practically glowed with desire for her. All this time she'd been hiding away thinking no man could ever see her as anything more than a woman barely laced back together, and she'd almost deprived herself of what this man was showing her.

They were both still mostly dressed, but he was looking at her like he already knew the pleasures they could give each other.

"Hannah, I want to taste all of you." He said as he let his fingers thread through her hair.

She shuddered again, but this time it wasn't a reflex of fear or pain. It was pure desire. He was throwing gasoline on a bonfire, and he knew it.

She nodded, but he didn't move. He'd meant it when he told her she was in control. This was a request, and he was giving her the power to say no if that's what she wanted.

"Yes. Joseph, please." She whispered as she felt his hand skim the side of her skirt looking for the zipper.

When the zipper parted, he stood with her still in his arms setting her carefully to her feet as he slipped his fingers into the sides of her skirt and slipped it over her hips and down her legs. It would have fallen free on its own, but his fingers grazed every inch of skin regardless.

She felt like a match that had been struck several times against the book, her skin was heated and itchy, but she needed one more push for the flames to consume her. That push came as Joseph sat on the edge of the bed and let his fingers slip beneath the garters that laid against her hips.

"So fucking hot." He whispered as he plucked the lacey tether against her skin and pressed his lips to her hip bone as he inhaled the scent of her skin.

Vanilla and honey he thought as he let his tongue drag slowly from one hip bone to the other. He finally let his fingers fall to the tiny clasps flicking them open with ease before he switched to the other side.

once the clasps had been freed, he stood and lifted her effortlessly onto the bed before he crawled towards her. She watched as he carefully raised her left leg just enough to press his lips to her knee as he carefully removed her shoe then repeated the motion on the other side.

Her skin was practically vibrating over her thrumming pulse as his fingers moved in torturously slow circles from her ankle to the top of her stockings and coaxed each one down as he followed the path with his tongue. By the time, he'd gotten her down to the red lace thong she was certain he could bat his eyelashes at her, and she'd come on the spot.

She didn't get a chance to find out because as soon as he moved back up her body, his mouth was devouring the saturated scrap of lace that lay between them.

"Mmmm. Fuck, I'll be with you in an hour." He mumbled as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

The way he was humming against her skin, she didn't think she'd last three minutes.

"Oh. Mmmm. Please." She gasped as she raked her fingernails against his scalp.

"Anything. Tell me what you need."

"More." She hummed as she tried her hardest to shimmy out of her drenched panties.

"I've got you." He said as he dragged the offending garment down her legs and shoved them in his pocket before he rubbed his cheek over her inner thigh forcing it back to the bed and went to work as he held her open and laid his tongue right at her center.

"Can I touch you?" He asked.

She laughed that he would ask to touch her when his mouth was literally full of her at that moment.

"Please."

She was shaking with anticipation as he pulled on her clit with his lips and fucked her right to the edge with his tongue, but he still hadn't touched her. Couldn't he see that she was dying for him to push her over the edge?

"Oh. Oh. Fuck." She cried as he finally slid one finger inside of her.

He stilled and went back to sucking on her clit for a minute before he slowly pulled his finger back and added another. He was moving painfully slowly as he dragged them along the front wall until he found exactly what he was looking for.

He didn't press hard or move quickly; he just rubbed lazy circles along that little bundle of nerves waiting for it to swell under his touch. He knew how to play her, and he wanted her to feel worshipped by the time he was finished with her.

If this was going to be a one-time thing, he wanted it to be the one she measured everyone else against. But as that thought floated through his mind all he could think was, I don't want there to be anyone else.

Where the fuck had that come from.

He tucked all thoughts that didn't center on making this woman come harder than she'd ever come before away as he listened to the cues her body was giving him.

He could feel her legs shaking, and he could hear how wet she'd become, so he started to press a little harder with his fingers as he widened the circle and pulled against her as he sucked her clit into his mouth and laved it with his tongue.

"Ohhhh. Joseph." She moaned as her thighs started to shake against his cheek.

He could feel her start to ripple around his fingers as her release started to close in on her so he pulled back and added a third finger watching closely for any signs of discomfort.

"You still with me?" He asked as he let her adjust around him.

"Mmmm. Y-yes." She said around a gasp.

"Are you ready to come for me?" He asked as he pressed his tongue to her pussy and pulled his fingers hard against the soft little patch that he knew would throw her head first into an explosive orgasm.

"Uhhhh. Y-yes." She cried as she felt his warm breath ghost over her a second before he devoured her.

"Oh fuck. Oh God, so good." She screamed as he played her g-spot like he was the first chair in the world's best symphony orchestra.

She could feel warmth bloom out from her belly as everything drew up tight a second before she felt a guttural groan vibrating from deep in his chest roll over her.

Sweat dripped from his skin as he put everything he had into making her feel something so profound she was certain it would never be duplicated.

The room smelled of sex, and she almost would have been embarrassed by how wet she was if she couldn't hear him humming in pleasure right along with her. It was really hard to be self-conscious with him, and that was the highest compliment she thought she could bestow upon him.

Of course, she forgot all about it as he finally pushed her over the edge.

"Oh, my...Oh...Oh my fucking god. Joseph." She screamed as he sucked her clit into his mouth and hammered her g-spot relentlessly until she felt a hot rush of pleasure pour over her.

"Mmmmm. So fucking good!" He hummed as he slowly tried to bring her down.

When he finally eased back, she opened her eyes only to be graced with a sinful display of sweat-slick muscles wrapped up in a man who was clearly a gifted lover.

"Damn," was all she could say.

"I told you I would make you feel good."

"Joseph, good is an embarrassing understatement." She said as she reached towards him.

"Uh-uh. If you touch me, even a little bit, I'm going to go off like a thirteen year old looking at his first Playboy."

She laughed. So did he.

He still had his pants on as he carefully crawled over her and nestled himself against her as he let out a pained sigh and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he leaned into her and pressed a heated kiss to her lips.

She could taste herself on him, and that was kind of sexy.

When she put her hand against his rib cage, she felt him shiver beneath her touch as his breath caught in his lungs.

"I wasn't even a little kidding when I said I was hanging on by a thread here beautiful." He said as he pressed his denim-clad cock against her thigh.

She could feel the heat radiating off of him, but the thing she couldn't stop focusing on was that Joseph McGuire was a big boy.

She hummed in approval as she pressed her thigh against him a little harder eliciting a moan from deep in his chest.

"Mmmm. You have no idea how much I want you right now, but I can still taste you and I can't stop thinking about how tight you were. If I fuck you right now, it's going to be over quickly, and I want you to feel worshipped when I'm through with you."

She was pretty sure she'd already been worshipped, but she wouldn't complain if he wanted to give her a second showing.

"I want you to feel me here," He said as he pressed his fingers against her. "I want you to remember what I feel like when we're tucked in our own beds."

"Will you remember?" She asked as she felt the power of his desire for her sweep through her.

"Mmmm. I don't think I'm ever going to forget the way my name sounds falling from your pretty mouth as you cum on me."

She knew well before she'd decided to take a chance on Joseph McGuire that he was dangerously sexy. What she'd learned over the course of a few hours was that he had a filthy mouth and he used it with near surgical precision.

She hadn't meant to say any of that out loud, but her sex addled brain had clearly shut down the filter that normally kept her from such embarrassing thought explosions. Of course, as he did with everything he simply rolled with it.

"Wait until you see what I can do with my cock."


	2. Kiss Me

Yeah, so I totally left ya hanging there...let's see what _comes_ next shall we...

WARNING...high risk of spontaneous combustion. Is that better Logictron?

Seriously, less plot in this chapter than the last and a lot more sex...you've been dually warned.

With that said, enjoy!

* * *

Settle down with me

Cover me up, cuddle me in  
Lie down with me  
And hold me in your arms And your heart's against my chest  
Your lips pressed to my neck  
I'm falling for your eyes  
But they don't know me yet  
And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now Kiss me like you wanna be loved

Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran

* * *

"Wait until you see what I can do with my cock."

* * *

"Holy fuck. I honestly think I might die if that _wasn't_ your best."

"Oh, it was. The best I could do with my mouth and my hands." He boasted.

"I'd find it hard to believe if I didn't have first-hand knowledge." She said as a blush covered her still very naked skin.

She hadn't thought about the scars since his hands had slipped over the marks and stolen her breath away, and she knew now that Joseph McGuire had some magic hands.

He'd made her forget something that was never far from her mind for one moment in 18 months, but for an hour it had completely escaped her.

She smiled as he leaned in an laid a kiss on her lips.

"Thank you." She whispered as she let her fingers sift through his beard.

"Oh, you can save that thank you until we're done, sweetheart."

She snickered at his confidence, (or arrogance she wasn't sure) but he looked at her with serious eyes and those lips that just begged to be kissed, and she was finding it harder to remember her train of thought.

"Gah, you are lethal." She said as she smiled up at him.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I meant, thank you for making me forget."

"Pretty girl, I am always happy to make you forget anything you want as long as you promise me that you'll never forget that you are heart-stoppingly beautiful." He said as he placed her hand over his heart and held it there.

"Do you always vibe this hard on a girl?" She asked.

"Uh...no," he said after he thought about it for a moment.

He scratched his fingers through his beard while he tried to make sense of that bit of knowledge.

"Are you lying to me?" She asked as a smile formed on her lips.

"Honey, I will make you scream my name, and I will make you forget yours, but I will never lie to you." He told her in a serious tone.

She laughed, but something told her he wasn't telling her a lie. Besides, he currently had her laid out like an all you can eat buffet without a stitch of clothing, so lies weren't really needed to close the deal.

"So..." She started as she stared up at him.

"What's on your mind?"

"What does this girl have to do to get a guy naked?" She wondered.

"Ask." He stated simply as he stood up and pulled his belt free.

He didn't get any further than that as she leaned over and pressed her lips to his stomach. He couldn't help the shudder that started at his shoulders and rolled through his entire body.

"I knew your lips would feel like fire against my skin." He told her.

"Hmmm?"

"When I first saw you talking to Top and Jaz, I may or may not have had a tiny fantasy about those pretty red lips," he said as he tapped a finger over them.

She laughed as she rubbed her finger across them knowing they probably weren't red anymore.

Swollen, for sure, but the color had undoubtedly rubbed off.

"And what did this fantasy entail?"

"Not sure. I hadn't gotten that far before Top so rudely interrupted."

Joseph McGuire was quite possibly the most entertaining and uninhibited person she'd ever encountered, and hell if that wasn't a huge turn on.

Hannah couldn't help but stare as he looked at her like she was some rare, endangered species. She told herself that he was gaming her, but she was finding it harder to believe that he actually was with each minute that ticked by.

And even if he was, she felt certain he would be honest about it. He didn't strike her as the type of guy that would cut and run as soon as she fell asleep, although this _was_ his room.

She leaned into him as he threaded his fingers through her hair while she slipped her fingertips behind the button on his jeans with just enough room to pop it free. Her heart was thundering away like it had been half an hour ago when he still had his face buried between her legs as she slowly eased the zipper down revealing the deep v that was carved into his flesh.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt my ego if you had a scar or a random butterfly tattoo somewhere among all this perfection." She said as she looked her fill.

For all the things that made her heart race since they'd met, she'd never expected the deep belly laugh that rumbled through this beautiful man would be the thing that made her wish she'd have more than one night.

He had these gorgeous puppy dog eyes that she was certain could incinerate panties on their own, but when he smiled, and they crinkled at the corners, they were hazardous to a girl's health. And that lower lip, she damn well knew that to be a fire hazard.

"Nope. no butterfly tattoos, but I do have a couple of scars." He said as he shoved his pants to the floor without warning.

She stood up in front of him prepared to seek out the scars as she walked around him running her fingers over his skin as she went. She knew that she was full on ogling the shit out of him, but he didn't seem at all bothered by her perusal.

In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it.

She pressed her lips to the tattoo on his back and let her fingers dip into a puckered scar on his left shoulder that went all the way through. A gunshot she figured as she pressed a kiss to the mark before she finished the circuit.

"I only saw one scar." She stated as she glanced down at his muscular quads all the way down to his bare feet.

"You aren't looking hard enough." He whispered as he let his finger catch her lip that she'd trapped between her teeth.

She watched him carefully as she let her fingers curl into the waistband of his boxers enjoying the way his eyes slid shut and his head tilted back the closer those fingers got to his cock.

"Fuck...I've never needed someone to touch me so much, and needed them to not touch me at the same time." He groaned as he opened his eyes and watched her hands ease the soft cotton over the heavy pulsing weight of him.

He'd been so focused on what her hands were doing as they slipped over his hips that he'd completely missed her lips as they pressed against the tip of his cock and he almost embarrassed himself in the span of three seconds.

"Oh my...mmm." He groaned as he bit down on his tongue and closed his eyes to the sensation.

When he'd finished going through the steps of cleaning his rifle and reassembling it, he looked down at her with a dazed look in his eyes. Her fingers were gently cradling his cock as her lips closed all the way over the head and her tongue swirled through the pre-cum he knew she could taste.

"Mmmm." She hummed as she let him fall free with a pop so she could like her lips.

"Jesus, you are determined to make me embarrass myself aren't you?" He said as he rubbed her lip with his thumb.

She laughed, and he didn't even care.

"Come here," he said as he pushed his boxers the rest of the way off and bounced into the bed taking her with him.

Her laughter floated through the air as she landed awkwardly in the middle of his chest before he lifted her into the air and centered her over his mouth. The laughter died as quickly as his name fell from her lips.

"Joseph."

"That's what I'm talking about." He said as he anchored her hips in place.

"Oh god. I don't know if I can handle another thirty minutes of that."

"Give me ten; I want you soaked when I sink into you." He said as he sunk two fingers into her and watched her head fall back as her hair brushed over his thighs making him itch to feel the silky strands on every inch of his skin.

Fuck, this was going to be harder than he thought.

True to his word, within ten minutes he could feel her arousal clinging to his beard, and he couldn't think straight as his cock impatiently slapped at his belly begging for him to give in and fuck her.

"Tell me what you want." He said to her as he wrapped his fist around the head of his disobedient cock and squeezed. "I need you to say the words."

He stared into her eyes waiting for confirmation that she was on the same page. It would kill him, but if she said no, he would find a way to rein it in.

"Please. I want you to fuck me." She said with the barest of whispers.

He released a shuddering breath and closed his eyes as he thanked any god that aided in setting this beautiful woman before him. He helped her ease back away from him so that she was straddling his thighs as he leaned towards the edge of his bed and grabbed his pants off the floor. He came back with two condoms between his teeth tearing one open and letting the other drop down to the bed beside him.

Her eyes got big as she considered what he had planned for the other one, but she was quickly distracted as he went about rolling the condom down his length which suddenly looked like it should come with a warning label, or perhaps a concealed carry permit.

He laughed when he caught the look in her eyes.

"That's why I wanted you to be dripping with need." He said as he pressed his fingers into her before he sucked his soaked fingers into his mouth.

"God, you should really be illegal." She said as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

"Come here baby girl." He said as he pulled her forward and lined her up over his cock. "You're driving."

He was so cocky, but at the same time, he was also overwhelmingly sweet and gentle.

Hannah pressed into him like she did when she was putting her toes into a bath that she knew was way too hot at first, but once she felt the initial discomfort ebb away, she leaned back against his thighs and slid down until she couldn't possibly keep going.

He blew out a breath as he felt her body struggling to stretch around him. It was excruciating as he waited for her to move, he'd wanted to give in and shove the rest of the way forward, but he knew it had been a while for her and the last thing he wanted to do was bring her pain.

It took a few minutes, but she finally settled her hips against his as she started to relax. And he finally made a move towards her. She wanted him to take over, but she hadn't been expecting what he did next.

His hands brushed her curls over her shoulders as he laid his hands against her neck and leaned into her as his lips slipped over hers. The kiss belied the urgency she knew they were both feeling as he tipped his chin into hers gaining entry as he licked gently over the seam of her lips before he started to steal the oxygen from her lungs.

Before she knew what was happening, she was seated all the way over him as he rubbed over places she was certain no one but Joseph McGuire would ever reach. She canted her hips forward seeking the tiniest bit of friction and was rewarded with a hot spike of pleasure that made her skin heat up as her breath faltered.

"Holy shit that feels...uhhh." She cried as he carefully pressed his fingers low against her belly and tilted her towards him again.

"Yeah, there it is." He mumbled against her skin as he sucked her nippled against his teeth.

There were so many things going on that she felt like her mind was going to fracture as she tried to focus on everything he was doing. He still sat painfully still as she hovered over him, but he was far from an idle participant as worked her with a full arsenal at his disposal.

"Ahh, gah, I need you to take over. I need something. Please." She whimpered as a veil of sweat broke over her skin.

A moment later, her back was pressed against the pillows, and his mouth was hovering over her clit as he waited for the fog to clear.

When her eyes connected with his, he pressed his lips to her as he dared her to look away. She couldn't take her eyes off of him until she focused in on his bicep that flexed as he slid three fingers into her.

Joseph gave her everything he had until he felt the telltale fluttering that let him know she was close.

"Put your legs over my arms and relax into me," He told her as she felt him slide his cock in until his hips brushed against her skin.

When he thought he had control, he started to move in shallow strokes. If she could formulate a thought, she might have been embarrassed by the way her legs shook everytime he rolled his hips into hers, but thinking was not one of the basic functions that her fogged up brain could allow in the moment.

Especially when he lifted her fingertips and sucked them into his mouth before he pressed them to her clit.

He sucked in a breath as he watched them glide over the glistening bud.

"I want to watch you get off on my cock." He said.

Her eyes flew open as she took in the half-lidded perusal he'd bestowed upon her. There was a deep red flush creeping up from the middle of his chest reaching up through his facial hair that was damp with sweat and sex as he watched her.

"I need more." She gasped as his hips briefly slapped against her skin.

"I'll follow your lead." He said as he pointed to the hand that was rubbing slow circles against her clit.

She looked at him with a questioning gaze as she watched a bead of sweat drip from his facial hair onto his chest and track towards her overheated skin momentarily losing focus.

"Mmmm. What were you saying?" as his hips slapped against her again bringing her focus back to him as he laughed at her question.

"I was saying, I'll follow your lead...I'm only going to fuck you as hard as you fuck yourself." He said as he watched her fingers move a little faster.

"That's it pretty girl." He crooned as he canted his hips forward with a snap tearing another moan from her lips.

"Oh...shit that feels so good." She hummed as she tilted her hips up changing the angle.

There was no longer an ounce of discomfort, just the scorching hot coil of pleasure that was threating to break the surface at any moment.

Her fingers were rubbing frantically between them, as she watched the ripple of his abs every time his hips rolled forward into hers.

"Voy a soñar contigo." She said to him completely unaware that she was no longer speaking to him in English.

"Fuck that's hot."

"Te sientes tan bien dentro de mí." she purred as she ran her fingernails over his quads.

"I have no idea what you're saying, but god it sounds sexy when it drips from those pretty lips." He said as he leaned in and kissed her.

"Un poco más fuerte." She whispered as she smiled dreamily.

His movements stuttered before he started to snap his hips forward harder shaking the whole bed.

"That one I knew." He grunted as he gave her what she'd asked for.

"Mmmm. I'm going to come." She hummed breathlessly.

"Say my name." Joseph growled into her ear as he picked up a pace that he knew would be the end of him if he couldn't get her there first.

"J-Jos-Joseph." She gasped as he felt her walls clamp down around him so hard he could hardly move.

"Phffft. Fuckkkkk." He shouted as he shoved her fingers out of the way and flicked his thumb hard against her clit.

"Ohhhh. Come. Baby, please...Come. For. Me." he said as he punctuated each word by slamming his hips against hers.

On the final downstroke, his name fell from her lips, and her cum dripped down his thighs that burned with exertion. He'd come so hard he could hardly catch his breath as he dropped her legs and collapsed over her.

"I'm going to have to call in sick for a week because I'm not sure I can move." She said as she pulled him down for a kiss.

He carefully worked to untangle their limbs, so he didn't crush her before he flipped them, so he was resting against the pillows with her cradled in his arms.

"I'm with you there. I think I can skip the gym for a couple of days after that marathon. Even my abs hurt." He said as he brushed a hand over his stomach.

"Something tells me you don't miss time at the gym too often." She said as she ran her fingers through the deep grooves that rippled under her touch.

"Mmmm. You haven't been in the bunker." He whispered against the wispy hairs that fell against her forehead.

"There isn't much to do there when we aren't on an assignment. Pretty much sleep, work out, play horseshoes or nine ball, watch tv, or let Jaz kick our asses at every combat video game ever created, or eat, which we do at our own risk because Amir is the only one whose worth a shit in the kitchen. Shower, rinse, repeat. Well, except lately...Jaz and Dalton sneak off and bang like little rabbits, and we make sure they know that we know, you know." He said as he brushed her curls out of her face and flashed that smile that almost made her want to go another round.

He carefully lifted her up and pulled the covers back before he settled her back against the pillows and turned for the bathroom. She was gifted with a view of the most perfect ass she'd ever seen.

"You're staring at my ass aren't you?" He said as he rounded the corner to dispose of the condom.

"Mmmm." she hummed as her eyes started to close. "Guilty."

She purred into his neck when he crawled back into the bed beside her and pulled her leg over his as she pressed her upper body into his side and threw her arm across his chest.

They'd been at it non-stop close to two hours by the time he'd walked into the bathroom. Tomorrow morning was going to come quickly, and they were both going to ache in all the right places, of that he was certain.

"Voy a soñar contigo." She whispered as she pressed her lips over his heart one last time.

"What's it mean?"

"I'm going to dream about you." She hummed as she fell asleep.

He followed soon after, with a smile on his lips, he was certain he'd be dreaming about her long after he'd left DC. For the first time in...ever, there was a twinge of regret.

He didn't want this to end when the sun came up.

* * *

 _"Voy a soñar contigo." - I'm Going to dream about you._  
 _"Te sientes tan bien dentro de mí." - You feel so good inside me._  
 _"Un_ poco _más_ fuerte _." - A little harder._

* * *

So, I haven't figured out if this is something I'm going to continue. What are your thoughts? Want to see where this goes (as it fits with the original story...it wouldn't be chapter for chapter since these two are generally not on the same continent)?


	3. Everything Has Changed

So, this is the last chapter in sequence when they are in DC before they all head to Colombia.

I'll probably have one more in the next couple of days, but once they get back to their corners of the world, this will be on hold unless she pops up in the final episode and they wind up in the same airspace. I don't think that's going to happen, but who knows.

Either way, I will definitely be revisiting this when they rotate out because I'm guessing McG is going to find his way back to DC when he's back in the states. :) Enjoy!

 **Oh yeah...I own nothing but the bad grammar any other such mistakes :)**

* * *

'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello."  
And your eyes look like coming home  
All I know is a simple name  
Everything has changed  
All I know is you held the door  
You'll be mine, and I'll be yours  
All I know since yesterday is everything has changed And all my walls stood tall painted blue  
And I'll take them down, take them down and open up the door for you I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now  
I just wanna know you, know you, know you

Everything Has Changed - Taylor Swift

* * *

McG stretched as he started to wake up, damn he felt that delicious burn in his muscles. Not like after a work out so much as when you know you've been well and truly laid.

With that thought, he reached out and pulled his bedmate into his chest making her squeal as he rubbed his beard over the soft skin between her neck and shoulder.

"Morning beautiful."

"Mmmmm," she whimpered as she stretched undoubtedly feeling a similar burn rippling over her muscles as he had.

"Joseph and his magic cock." She whispered still half asleep.

"I'm going to remember that one."

"Did I say that out loud?"

"You did, and it was adorable. Also, I'm free for a few more hours if you'd like to take me for another spin." He said as he let his hand slide over the smooth skin of her upper thigh.

"Oh god. I feel like the horse that came in dead last in the Preakness. Don't they shoot them?"

"Eww, no. They probably turn them into broodmares." He said snuggled in a little closer with his very prominent erection pressing into her ass.

"I allude to the fact that I'm sore as hell from your magic cock and you offer to give me another ride." She laughs as she wraps her fingers around him.

"I promise I can make you feel good." He told her, repeating something he'd said last night that she now knew had been a gross understatement.

She turned into his arms and pressed a playful kiss against his lips as her hands truly made all of her previous arguments big fat lies.

"I can be slow and gentle." He whispered in her ear as he pressed her shoulders to the bed and nestled his cock firmly against her aching pussy.

And he could. Damn if this man wasn't good at everything.

She moaned as he slowly gyrated his hips against hers letting his cock slip through her folds as the air around them warmed.

"It feels so good doesn't it?" He stated as he licked over the pads of his thumb and forefinger before he gently played her nipple until she was panting against his throat.

"Mmmm, you'll be seeing me on your skin for days." He whispered as his fingers gently floated over a patch of skin that had been abraded by his facial hair.

"Ahhh-Uh." She whined as he laved his tongue over the same patch of skin.

"And here," He said as he slid his fingers into her. "You'll never forget the way I felt here."

"Mmmmm, fuck." She cursed because this felt way too good after last night's marathon, but she might have meant it more because she knew he was right.

"God, I want to feel the tight, hot clasp of your pussy again." He said as he pushed her knees up towards her chest and feasted on her as his fingers pressed firmly against that little sweet spot that got her all slippery.

"Has anyone ever accused you of having a filthy mouth, Joseph? It is kind of hot by the way."

"Not in those exact terms, but you could be my first." He said as he blew a warm breath over her.

"Fuck me." She gasped.

"I'd be happy to." He said as he continued to warm her up.

"P-please. Joseph."

"Mmmm. I'll take care of you sweet girl." He whispered as he rubbed a little harder until he could hear how wet she was.

He kept up a firm pressure as he reached over and grabbed the condom he'd stashed last night and ripped the foil with his teeth before rolling it down his length and returning his lips to her clit to force his name from her pretty lips once more.

Once he was satisfied that she was ready for whatever he could manage before he had to be out the door, he lifted her to her knees.

"Wrap your arms around my neck." He said.

She did as he asked and gave a little yip as he grabbed her ass and hoisted her up in his arms and tapped her on the thigh.

"Wrap your legs around me. I'll do all the work; you just hang on. Okay? " He said as he felt his skin prickle with excitement.

"Oh, my fffff...Joseph." She moaned as he raised her up and slid her down onto his cock.

He held her still for a minute as he kissed her breathless before he finally sunk his fingers into her supple ass and started to move.

"This isn't going to last long baby girl. You feel way too good like this." He said as he leaned back against the wall for better leverage.

Clever girl that she was Hannah pressed a hand against the wall by his head and slipped her other hand between them to stoke the fire that was already raging low in her belly.

"Uhhh. Fuck yeah." He said as he slammed up into her.

Hannah could see the cords of his neck straining beneath the surface calling out to her. She leaned into him and grazed her teeth over him feeling his knees start to buckle in surprise. The next thing she knew her ass was hanging off the edge of the bed and he was fucking her like a man possessed.

"Oh. Oh. Gah, please...Joseph, please. Fucking cum!" She screamed as he growled into the air like a rutting bear.

It was primal, and dirty and quite possibly the sexiest thing she'd ever witnessed, and it felt so fucking good.

"For my ego, can we pretend that the last 24 hours was the best sex you have ever had in your life so that I can feel like I returned the favor?" Hannah asked as she tasted the salt of his sweat when she rubbed her lips over his.

"Honey, if that wasn't the best sex of your life, I owe you a long weekend, because it was definitely the best sex of my life. I think I might be wrung dry and damn happy about it." He said as he was still rocking gently against her.

"Besides, I'm not sure I've got all the magic in this equation." He told her as he slid his cock home one more time before he had to pull out or risk making a mess they were not at all prepared to deal with.

She smiled at him and said, "I feel bad for any man who comes after you because I don't think anyone will ever measure up."

He made a joke about measuring up, but he hadn't really meant it. It was merely a deflection because the idea of her being with anyone else was not an idea he wanted to entertain. In fact, that idea pissed him off for reasons he couldn't really understand.

He had no claim over her, and she was a beautiful woman, men were bound to notice her.

Jealousy was a foreign concept to him.  
_

They fell back to sleep around four in the morning and didn't wake up until 7:30 when McG's alarm went off. He had plans to go to breakfast with the team before they headed out to a hearing for Deputy Director Campbell.

He leaned over and kissed her as her eyes fluttered open, "What time is it?"

"It's 7:30. I'm meeting the team for breakfast in an hour if you wanted to join us." He told her.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea." She said.

McG understood, but it didn't mean he liked the idea that this was all they were. Of course, just a few hours ago he'd been flirting with her in the hotel bar thinking they would go up to his room, have some fun and go back to the way things were.

But over the course of this time together, she'd revealed so much of herself to him. What had started as a fun night for him had turned into something totally different.

He wasn't naive enough to think that he was some knight in shining armor who fixed some damsel in distress. And she was no damsel. She was the strongest woman he'd ever met. She'd been through a horrific experience and had her life shattered, but she'd still managed to pick herself up.

She could have easily steered clear of anyone who might get close enough to see her scars, especially a man she'd barely known, but she didn't. She'd been brave enough to share one of her darkest secrets with him, and he knew it would be a little easier for her to move forward now that she'd officially ripped the band-aid off.

But, he didn't want her to show herself to anyone else.

What the hell did he think he could offer her though. It wasn't like he was a relationship guy. He spent more days a year on the other side of the world than he did at home, he willingly walked into the most dangerous situations on a regular basis, and he almost never slept with the same woman twice.

She deserved better than that. So, he decided that he would enjoy whatever time they had until he had to go.

"Okay, well maybe you'd like to join me in the shower then? I could use a little help scrubbing my back." He said hoping she couldn't hear the disappointment in his voice.

He wasn't ready for this to end just yet.

"I think I can help you with that." She said as she smiled and ran her fingers over his forearm.

* * *

McG had given her two more orgasms in the shower that morning before he had to leave her. He'd run down to her car to get her go bag for her so that she could change her clothes and avoid any kind of walk of shame, but that wouldn't really be a factor since she'd refused his second invitation to breakfast as well.

So, he'd kissed her goodbye and told her he'd see her soon, but he'd left the room with a white-hot knot in his stomach. It was not what he wanted.

He spent most of breakfast thinking about her, and he'd tried to distract himself by hassling Top and Jaz over some suspicious scratches on his arms. It was fun to see them both squirm a little, but he was happy to see them figuring their shit out.

He'd been worried about both of them after Tehran. It was a new relationship and that in and of itself brought obstacles, especially given their situation with Top being her CO. So, adding the stress of Tehran to that could have easily blown everything up.

He also knew Top was a good man and that he would do whatever he had to do to help Jaz weather the storm. They both deserved to find happiness.

As he was sitting there thinking about happiness and weathering storms, he couldn't help but notice Hannah as she crossed the lobby. She didn't look his way, but he could take his eyes off of her. He hoped he'd see her again before they left DC, but he had this feeling in the pit of his stomach that he wouldn't.

* * *

He'd been right, as they were leaving Deputy Director Campbell's hearing Noah had called Top and alerted them of a situation in Colombia.

They were wheels up less than an hour later, and Top was in a mood because Jaz wasn't with them. She hadn't been cleared, and he was upset that he hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to her before they left. Top wasn't the only one who was feeling like that.

He'd been hoping to catch Hannah to talk to her about how they'd left things. He'd wanted to ask her to dinner, like a real date, and he wanted to talk to her about seeing her again when they rotated out. But, that wasn't meant to be.

He thought maybe that was a sign that he was just supposed to let it go.

* * *

When they arrived in Colombia, Top formulated a plan to convince the FARC team onboard to allow them to refuel the plane. He'd assigned McG to overwatch, and they were just unpacking their gear as they waited for the negotiator from the DIA to arrive.

He had been tossing one of the last bags down to Top when he heard her voice. His heart rate spiked instantly, and he felt his cheeks heat up. Was it wrong that he was happy to see her when there was a plane full of hostages a few hundred yards away?

"Hi Joseph, it's good to see you again," She said as she held out her hand to him.

"Joseph?" Amir questioned.

His ears were burning as the heat in his face spread, and he noticed a hint of pink in her cheeks as well.

"That's my name Raisani." He said as he tried to act casual.

Of course, he was feeling anything but casual. Amir took a couple more shots at him as he flirted with her.

When he hopped down from the truck they'd been unpacking, she said, "Yeah, I gotta say Amir I thought you'd be taller."

His heart kicked up a little as he caught the smile she aimed at him, "So did his mom." He deadpanned.

"Height isn't everything." Amir said.

"No but it's something." She'd said as she smiled.

They all laughed, and he felt a little lighter knowing he would have a few more hours with Hannah. He was hoping they'd have a little bit more time to talk and maybe, just maybe he could convince her to see him again before they shut the door on things.

He realized as they boarded their plane that morning that one night was never going to be enough with her. He didn't know what their future held, but he wanted a chance to see if there could be a future for them.

The truth was they hardly knew each other, but he thought she was worth taking a chance to see if this chemistry was a one-shot deal or if they could have something more.

For the first time in his life, he wanted more.

* * *

Please let me know what you think. I've heard from several of you that you'd like it to continue, so I will definitely be continuing with it along with the main story during the hiatus.


	4. For Her

So, what happened when they returned to DC?

Read on to find out...there will be a second half to this chapter which I'm guessing will upset no one.

* * *

The way that she moves is like a soft glow, flicker of a candle  
She turns my cool into disaster; heart is pumping faster  
She's head to toe, body, and soul, so beautiful, she don't even know

For Her - Chris Lane

* * *

On the return flight from Colombia, everyone was congratulating Hannah on her return to the field and how she handled a very tense situation. It could have gone sideways with an insider providing information to Diaz, but Hannah shut that down. And the team was able to keep any more hostages from harm.

McG was just enjoying the view. Hannah had a stunning flush rising on her cheeks as she absorbed the praise. When her eyes landed on him, he couldn't help but smile. She really was an amazing woman.

She was beautiful, obviously, but there was so much more to Hannah Rivera. She was tough as nails, intelligent, calm under intense pressure and in his estimation she was fearless. It would have been so easy for her to pull back from the life she'd known after what she went through, and no one would have faulted her for it.

Instead, she picked up the pieces and took a position at the DIA where she felt she could help others avoid a fate similar to hers. She surrounded herself in a world that provided a daily reminder of what she endured.

McG's mother was still a nurse in Montana, and she had always been a big part of his life. She raised him by herself and had always taught him to be respectful to women. Sure, he'd been a bit of a player, but he was never dishonest with the women he took to bed. He never made promises beyond that night, and he never fed women lines in order to get them into bed.

That had always been enough for him, and with his job, it wasn't like he had many other options. He didn't like the idea of having someone waiting at home worried about him and no real idea of where he was or what he was doing. Preach did it, and for him, it worked, but McG just couldn't see how you had a relationship with so many things that had to stay hidden from the ones you loved.

But, as he watched Hannah he was finding it really difficult to think about walking away in a couple of days when they headed back to their base. He'd watched Jaz and Top fight the connection between them for years, and he'd watched as they finally started to open their eyes to the idea of finding something more with each other.

Jaz had been there for Top when he was hurt after the prison, and he'd been there for her after Tehran. That was thing, he knew Top would have been just as concerned if any of them had been taken, but McG was certain that Top may not have had that conversation with Deputy Director Campbell that led to 'outing' Jaz without her letter.

It had broken him, but it had also added a level of desperation that brought him to that precise level of crazy that gets things done.

That made him think about what Hannah had been through, and what he would have done if he'd been a part of her life back then. He knew that he would have moved heaven and earth to keep her safe.

He was treading in uncharted waters, he knew it, but he had to know what Hannah was thinking. He had to know if she wanted more.

* * *

When they got off the plane, Hannah headed straight to the DIA to debrief Noah and Patricia since she was now officially reinstated. McG, Amir, Preach, Top and Jaz headed back to the hotel.

They planned to get together for drinks with the whole team to celebrate Patricia's return at the bar the following night, but they had no specific plans for that night.

"Hey, do you guys want to grab a bite here?" Dalton asked as they walked into the lobby.

Everyone had agreed quickly, but McG had other plans.

"If it's alright with you, I think I'm going to head upstairs and take a shower, but breakfast tomorrow?"

Dalton and Jaz glanced at each other, but he said, "Sure, 8:00 good for everyone tomorrow?"

McG nodded and headed towards the elevators pressing the down button.

As he made his way through the parking lot and across the street to the DIA, he stopped by a florist on the corner. It was kind of silly, but he'd never bought flowers for a woman before. He'd bought flowers for his mom on birthdays, and Mother's day, but that wasn't quite the same.

Once they were wrapped up, he flashed his ID to the attendant at the front desk of the DIA offices and headed through the building to the parking garage in search of Hannah's car. Once he'd found it, he leaned up against it and waited.

He felt stupid standing there as people walked by, but he was determined.

After about twenty minutes, he heard the echo of high fashion footwear coming towards him. He was certain it was her because the only other cars in the aisle were a mud-covered pickup truck and a rusted out Honda Civic, neither of which seemed to fit with a stiletto-wearing owner. Sure there was probably an exception to the rule, but he was fairly certain of his assessment.

* * *

Hannah hadn't been paying much attention as she walked through the parking garage. She was considering walking across the street to the hotel where Joseph was staying in the hopes of finding the whole crew eating dinner or enjoying a drink. Though, she wasn't quite as concerned with finding the whole group as she had been one man in particular.

But, as luck would have it that man was leaning against her car with a bright smile and a beautiful bouquet of red tulips.

"Hey, beautiful." He crooned as he pushed off her car and stepped into her personal space.

"Hi." She said as a smile started to form and her heart stuttered in her chest as he brushed her hair over her shoulder and leaned in to press his lips to hers.

"So, I know that we're leaving the day after tomorrow, but I was hoping that maybe you'd let me take you out."

"Like a date?" she asked stupidly.

"Yeah. Exactly like a date." He answered.

"But...I uh, I thought this was a one-night thing."

"Well, if that's what you want then that's what it was, but I'd really like to spend some more time with you." He told her as he rubbed his thumb over the ridge of the scar on her neck.

She'd hated people looking at the scars, or touching them, but for some reason when Joseph did it she wanted to lean into him.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked.

"Mmmm. Dinner, maybe a little dancing?" He said.

"Really? You want to go dancing?" She asked.

"With you. Yes." He said.

"Okay, but I need to stop at my place first. Is that alright?" She asked.

"Of course. Want me to drive?" He asked as he slid the keys from her fingers.

She smiled and let him take the keys as he walked over and opened the passenger side for her.

She directed him to a cute little townhouse in Alexandria.

"Come on in; I'll just be a minute." She said as she had him pull into her garage.

He followed her into the house and took in the open kitchen with beautiful hardwood floors. Before he'd had a chance to take three steps inside, he felt two tiny little bodies wrapping themselves around his legs.

"Sorry, let me get them." She said as she picked up the two kittens that were at his feet.

He took the smaller one from her and cuddled her into his chest.

"That's Pip, and this one is Boo." She said of the tiny grey striped ball of fur he was holding and the steel grey kitten with the bright blue eyes she was holding.

"My mom always had cats when I was growing up." He said as he scratched Pip's ears and listened to her purr like a boat motor.

"I would have figured you for a dog person." She stated.

"I'm an any animal kind of guy. Except for snakes, or crawly things. I can handle them in the desert just fine, but I'd rather not cohabitate with them."

She laughed as she set the kitten on its bed and went to feed them. She also pulled down a vase for the tulips which he took and filled with water before arranging the flowers in it.

"You know, you didn't have to buy me flowers."

"I don't have to do a lot of things, but I wanted to buy you flowers." He said. "And I wanted to see you again."

She blushed as she kissed his cheek.

"Well, I'm going to go change. Would you like to see the rest of my place?" She asked.

"Sure. Lead the way, pretty girl."

She walked him through her living room before leading him up the stairs where she showed him her office, a guest bedroom and finally her bedroom.

He sat on the edge of her bed as she walked into her closet and rummaged through her clothes then she wandered into her bathroom. She kicked the door mostly closed, but every once in a while he caught glimpses of her through the crack.

She had on a navy blue top with a grey skirt that flowed out loosely and swayed across her thighs as she moved. He could see her in the mirror as she applied a deep red lipstick. Before he had a chance to think better of it, he was standing behind her.

"You look stunning." He said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"You know if you keep looking at me like that the only dancing we'll be doing will be happening right over there." She said as she pointed towards her bed.

"While I wouldn't be unhappy about that, I think I'd like to take you out. Someplace we can talk, and I can get to know more about Miss Hannah Rivera." He said as he looked at her in the mirror.

"I'd like that. There's a quiet little bistro down the street and a couple of places that have live music down a little further."

Hannah slipped on a pair of flats that matched her dress, and he smiled. He loved her in towering stilettos, but he loved the way she fit against him with her head coming to rest just at his shoulder, too.

"We can walk if you want." She said as she grabbed a coat in the closet by her front door.

"Will you be warm enough?"

"If I'm not, you can keep me warm." She smiled.

He wasn't going to argue with that. So, they stepped out the front door, and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the bistro.

As they sat in the quiet corner of the bistro snuggled on one side of their booth, they talked about all kinds of things.

He asked her about college, and how she'd gotten involved with the CIA. And she'd asked about Montana and his mom, what made him want to be a combat medic and how he'd crossed paths with Dalton and Patricia. The conversation flowed easily, as they sipped glasses of wine and enjoyed their dinner.

Over dessert, McG had a much more important conversation in mind.

"I know that we started this as a one-night thing, and if that's really what you want I will respect that, but I don't want this to be a short-term thing anymore. When we were flirting in the bar, I think we were both looking to scratch an itch, but I think we both know that this is something more than just satisfying a need. I don't know if I can walk away from you without at least trying to see where this could go." He said. "I will if you ask me to, but I don't want to."

He could see the shimmer of tears in her eyes, and he was really hoping they weren't about rejecting his request.

"You know when I sat down beside you in the bar the other night, I thought you looked like the kind of guy that could show me a good time, and that you medical background would somehow help you see past everything I was so afraid to show. I thought, maybe this is a one-time thing, and maybe I'll never get the courage up to let anyone else see the scars, but at least I'd have the memory of you. And call me crazy, but I knew you'd be good. Better than good. Maybe it's your cocky swagger, or the way you look, because yeah, you're really nice to look at." She said as he made a face like he was insulted by her assessment.

"You mean you just wanted me for my body?" He joked.

"It is one hell of a body..." She answered. "Anyway, I thought you would have to be enough, because I was sure I'd never be able to show anyone else. But, after, I don't think anyone else would ever be able to compare to you. Not just because you really deliver on the pleasure," She said as she blushed. "But, because you were so gentle and caring when I was at my worst. For 18 months, I'd been building up insecurities about the way my body looked to a man after Urzua, and you only saw me. I don't know that there is another man out there who would be able to do that. Who would even want to."

"Baby girl, I don't want there to be another man looking at you. Only me." He said as he swept her up in a kiss.

McG paid for dinner and helped her out of the booth. She was a little tipsy, and a beautiful flush colored her cheeks as she looked at him and said, "Come on, dance with me."

When they walked into the bar a couple of doors down, the music was flowing over them, and he was mesmerized by the sway of her hips as she led him into the middle of the dance floor.

He knew the song, but he took his cues from the way her body moved as he pulled her flush against him.

She quickly learned that dancing was a secret weapon that he deployed with lethal precision. He knew how to move and how to move her. She had always loved to dance, but she hadn't even attempted to go out even with friends since...it had always been a fun and carefree experience. She hadn't felt fun or carefree in a long time.

Until Joseph.

It didn't matter whether the songs were fast or slow, he always found a rhythm that worked for them and kept her firmly pressed against his body.

"Is there nothing that you aren't good at?" She asked as she stared up at him.

He thought about it for a minute before a smile curved his beautiful lips, "Nope."

"So humble." She laughed.

"I try." He said as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

They danced for almost an hour and they were both sweating, but it didn't matter, they both knew this was just foreplay. And she made sure he knew she was ready to move this to a more private location.

"Take me to bed Joseph." She whispered as she stood on her toes to press her lips to his neck.

"With pleasure." He said as he lifted her off the ground so he could deliver a kiss that was devastatingly sexy.

It was the kind of kiss that had every other woman in that bar wishing they had someone that wanted them that much. His left hand was threaded through her hair as his right arm banded around her waist anchoring her to him without an inch of space between their bodies while he swayed to the music.

His lips devoured hers, but his eyes were sending pure want coursing through her as they consumed her.

Joseph McGuire was easily the most potently sexy man in this place, and he was hers. For how long, she didn't know, but she knew she was going to enjoy him for as long as she could.

* * *

When they got back to her place, Joseph carried her up right up the stairs to her bed. He laid her against the pillows before he crawled up over her.

"I want to savor this." He whispered as he let his fingers slip through her hair and rubbing soothing circles over her neck as he kissed her softly.

He made no moves to remove her clothing; he just kissed her like it was the only way to fill his lungs with oxygen.

"I love the way you look right now. Swollen lips, a pretty pink flush on your cheeks and the marks my beard leaves on your skin so that any man that looks at you knows that someone is loving on you." He whispered as he moved to her neck and traced his tongue over that scar.

Her back arched up over the bed at the contact, it shouldn't feel good, but with Joseph everything was different. He made her feel beautiful, and he made her feel whole.

As he continued to kiss her neck his hands slid down her sides all the way to her thighs as he anchored them against his hips for leverage. They were making out like a couple of teenagers in her parent's basement hoping not to get caught.

She loved it.

"I need you." She whispered as she pulled his henley from his jeans and let her fingers dance over his warm skin.

"Mmmm. I'll give you anything you want. Everything," He said as he sucked on her neck causing her to shiver beneath him.

"Careful, I might ask you for forever." She hummed as he sucked a little harder.

"And I might agree to your terms." He said as he looked into her eyes and swept her hair from her face.

"I didn't mean, I was just making a..."

"I'm not. I want to see where this goes. I want to call you before I go to bed when I'm far away and someday wake up with your smile as the first thing I see. Just thinking about leaving you behind makes my chest hurt. I know it's insane, but if there is one thing I do know it's that there is something here, and I think we owe it to ourselves to see what that is, preferably when we aren't an ocean away from each other."

"Well, you've got a couple weeks until you rotate out...will you come back to DC?" she asked.

"I will if you want me to." He said. "And maybe I could get you out to Montana, too."

She smiled, "I'd like that."

"So, are we gonna do this?" He asked hopefully.

"I think we are." She said as she pulled him down for a kiss.

What started out as a gentle kiss quickly turned into a hungry exploration as he worked his lips over her jaw and down her neck rubbing his beard against her skin as he went. He wanted to take things slowly, but the way she was humming in pleasure and writhing against him that plan was starting to evaporate.

"Baby, I need you naked. I want to feel all that soft skin against me while you ride me." He growled as he nipped on her earlobe. "But first, I want to taste you."

"Holy fuck. I swear you could make my clothes melt off when you talk like that." She hummed as he started to undress her.

"Pretty girl, if I could talk your clothes off, you would have been naked before I could get the front door closed. But, I'm game to keep trying."

She laughed, but it turned into a groan when he used his beard and his mouth to shove the cup of her bra down and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

"I love the way your skin tastes." He whispered as he pulled the other side of her bra down and teased her with his fingers.

"Your skin is so soft, and you melt like butter under my tongue, especially when I kiss you hear," He said as he let his fingers skim under her skirt and over the damp scrap of lace.

"Please." She whispered as he slipped his fingers under her panties and pressed them to her.

She wasted no time as she dragged his henley up over his head and yanked his belt from his body, and relief flooded through her when he stood and stripped off his jeans leaving him gloriously naked as she scrambled to unhook her bra.

He watched her with interest as his fingers inched the zipper at her hip down before he slipped the skirt and her panties down her legs allowing them to float to the floor.

He wasted no time as he fit his hips to hers and pressed his chest to hers absorbing all the warmth she offered as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss that held a new meaning.

This was no longer about trying to take everything the other had to give because the shelf life was short, it was an exploration. It was more.

Joseph never made her feel like she was just a warm body even when it was for one night, but now that they'd both laid bare their feelings, their hopes to see if there could be more to this everything felt different.

When he kissed her, their eyes didn't close; they watched, they consumed. His touches lingered a little longer as he read her, what made her skin flush. What made her hum with pleasure, and what made her breath his name in a way that made heat prickle over his skin.

He'd always loved studying what made a woman feel good, and giving them pleasure was always high on his list, but with Hannah, it was different. He wanted her to know exactly how much pleasure he could give her.

He wanted her to remember how his skin felt against her. He wanted her to think about him every time she crawled into this bed, even when he was thousands of miles away, and he wanted her to feel him wrapped around her even when she was alone.

He knew that he was going to think about how she sounds when she is about to tip over the edge and the flush that covers so much of her skin when he touches her. He was also going to think about her laugh and the way her smile makes him feel warm and happy.

The sex was amazing, and he'd think about it often he was certain, but he was going to miss the way she feels wrapped in his arms and the contented sigh that she isn't even aware of as she curls into him at night.

Leaving her was going to be hard.

Though that would be a tomorrow problem because right now he had a deliciously naked woman that he intended to please all night.

* * *

Sorry for the cold shower...but this was inching beyond 4000 words, and it would have easily gone a couple thousand more. I'm a horrible person, I know... hopefully the rest tomorrow or Thursday :)


	5. Find A Way

Sorry this took me a couple days longer than I'd hoped to get finished. Work and family stuff took over for a bit. But, hopefully it is worth the wait.

Also, I LOVE the song at the beginning of the chapter. It's one of my all time favs...give it a listen. It just so happens to be perfect for these two :)

As per usual, I own any mistakes contained within this work, but I DO NOT (sadly) own The Brave or the characters we all love so much.

* * *

Hold on, what's the rush, what's the rush we're not done, are we?  
Cause I don't need to change this atmosphere we've made if you can stay one more hour  
Can you stay one more hour?

You know I'm gonna find a way to let you have your way with me  
You know I'm gonna find the time to catch your hand and make you stay

Find A Way - SafetySuit

* * *

He wasted no time as he fit his hips to hers and pressed his chest to hers absorbing all the warmth she offered as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a kiss that held a new meaning.

* * *

Hannah wanted to absorb everything. The way his skin felt pressed up against hers. The rough scrape of his beard abrading her most sensitive flesh. His fingers as they played her body like a fine instrument, and obviously his cock which she knew would leave a lasting impression.

One that no man could ever better, she was sure.

She'd always enjoyed sex, and apart from her first awkward experiences in her senior year of high school, it had always been enjoyable. In fact, she could have gone her whole life without knowing that she was missing out on something more.

The crazy part was that if she hadn't endured the most horrible experience of her life, she likely would have gone on without knowing what she'd been missing. That one horrible moment had set her on this path, landed her at the DIA, and put her in Joseph's orbit.

It was almost funny if she hadn't been forced to live through it. But, maybe this was the world's bizarre way of balancing the scales again.

Either way, she wasn't going to waste the little time they had left worrying about why things happened the way they did.

At that moment, she could feel the heat of him throbbing against her core. And she didn't want to think about anything but him.

"Can we just stay here forever?" She asked him as she breathed in the spice of his aftershave.

How did he still smell this good after the day they'd had.

"I think we might get hungry eventually, but I'm willing to give it a go." He said as he brushed his lips over the thrumming pulse point below her ear that had caught his attention. "But, I might have a few suggestions to improve upon this moment."

"Oh yeah?" She asked.

"Mmmm," he hummed as he kissed his way across her collarbone then slowly down her sternum.

"I like where this is going." She laughed as his beard tickled her skin.

"Me, too." He said as he wedged his shoulders between her hips and pressed his tongue to her inner thigh.

There were two things that Joseph McGuire was sure of as he stared into Hannah's eyes in that moment.

One, he would never get tired of the way she looked laid out before him.

And two, there would never be enough time with her.

Both of these thoughts were staggering because he'd been with many beautiful women, and he'd never in his life considered what his life would look like without them in it. With Hannah, that was all he could think about.

He didn't know why these realizations had occurred to him, but he knew that she was the catalyst.

It was in the way she smiled at him.

He'd seen the hurt and sadness in her eyes; he knew that she came into this situation with a slew of reasons to fear any man she let in. And that every man had the power to further the hurt she wore on her skin, but she handed him that power willingly and trusted him to wield it with care.

For Hannah, she'd intended for him to be a fun diversion and quite possibly the only person who might be able to see past the scars for an hour or two. But, he didn't see past them at all.

He looked right at them and found beauty in her strength, but he did not see flaws.

She didn't know how they would deal with being separated for a month, or what they would have when he returned, but she knew for sure not trying wasn't an option she could live with, and he couldn't either.

They agreed on that point and one other. They would not waste one single minute of the time they had left.

* * *

McG felt lighter knowing that they were reading from the same page. This wasn't a one and done scenario, and it didn't have a best by date that expired when the wheels went up in a little over 36 hours.

He'd never had a relationship, but in fairness, he'd never tried to have one. He'd never wanted one either.

Until now.

Hannah, for her part, had always dreamed of a husband and a family, but those dreams had seeped into the dirt and sand on a river of blood on some desolate roadside in Mexico. Or that's what she'd thought.

She wasn't ready to resurrect them yet, but she was no longer certain they were impossible.

Maybe they wouldn't be with Joseph, but she was certain that he would be a factor in mending her spirit enough to consider those dreams attainable again someday.

For now, she wanted everything he was willing to give to her. His warmth, his comfort, his laugh, his body, and maybe, just maybe his heart that he so openly wears on his sleeve when he decides he's ready to give it away.

She was pretty sure he held hers in his hands since last night when he'd held her shaking in a panic as she revealed herself to him.

Now he had her shaking again, but for an entirely different reason.

* * *

Hannah loved the way his hands felt as they rubbed against her inner thighs pressing them carefully to the bed as he leaned into her. He was inches away from where she needed him, and she could hear the frustration bubbling up as a moan fell from her lips.

"Please, please...don't go slow. I don't want to wait." She begged as he let his breath float over her sensitive flesh.

He smiled at her as he gave her what she needed.

She couldn't help but cry out when his lips sealed themselves over her clit. She'd been on edge for what seemed like an eternity. They'd been touching all through dinner stoking the warmth that was always simmering under the surface when he was near her.

And then the dancing. They'd spent over an hour on the dance floor pressed close as they continued to ramp up the tension. And when they'd returned home, they'd made out like a couple of kids, so her blood was at a full boil.

It seemed like an hour since he'd made it clear what he wanted from her. He'd told her he wanted to taste her, and then he wanted her to ride him. Just thinking about it made her body hum in anticipation as his tongue danced over her.

It had felt like hours, but it could have been mere minutes. It didn't matter because she felt like she'd been in a constant state of 'oh please fuck me' since he'd first touched her skin last night. And, she wasn't sure that feeling would ever let up.

Not that she would complain about that.

Her eyes fell shut as he delivered on the first half of his promise, he wasted no time as she felt the pads of his fingers begin their not so subtle assault on her g-spot.

He certainly knew how to make a girl feel good.

If this were any other man, she was certain she'd be embarrassed by the sounds that her body made. But, he made it abundantly clear that he loved how she responded to him.

"Fuck, baby girl, you're so wet for me." He hummed as he sucked her clit into his mouth again.

She could feel her body building towards a mind-blowing orgasm, and in a past life that would have been it, but with Joseph it was like pre-game warmups. He wasn't satisfied unless she was boneless and completely blissed out by the time he was ready to take his pleasure.

"Oh, ah...ah. Yes, right there." She cried as he pressed in firm, tight circles against her g-spot. "Fuck..."

She could feel the hot coil burst as she was lifted into the air. When her eyes opened, Joseph was on his back with her poised over his cock as he tore open a foil packet and handed it to her. She kept her eyes on his as she worked the condom down over him.

Once it was in place, he smiled and said, "I need you to fuck me...hard."

She felt a shiver course over her like his words had electrocuted her. Hannah stared at him as she let her hand run over her flesh, she stopped for a moment as her fingers trailed over her breast, but she didn't linger.

She could see his eyes darken as her fingers continued further until they reached her pussy where she rubbed several slow circles over her clit before she slipped her fingers inside. When she pulled them out, he was mesmerized as she rubbed them over her clit again until he sat up and sucked her fingers clean.

It was incredibly hot.

As he sucked the last digit into his mouth, she impaled herself on his cock and was rewarded with primal growl ripping from his chest as he gently scraped his teeth over that finger.

"Fuck baby girl. So tight." He groaned as she started to move over him.

She could feel every ridge of his cock as they moved together.

"Hannah you feel so fucking good." He hummed as he wrapped an arm around her to help guide her movements.

It took only a couple of minutes before he had her so close to the edge that she was shaking as she rode his cock. When he pulled her hips down and circled her hips over his, she couldn't hold on any longer.

"Oh, Joseph, fuck do that again."

He did, and she could feel the orgasm she'd been holding onto burning in her belly. He was buried balls deep, and he could feel her walls start to clamp down over him. All he wanted was to feel her come apart.

"I need you to come on my cock Hannah. Tell me what you need."

"Mmmm. Rub your cock on my g-spot." She told him.

He nodded as he lifted her and set her back on her hands and knees, he felt her stiffen as she realized her back was exposed, but she relaxed as he gently guided her hands out in front of her and rubbed his hand between her shoulder blades reassuringly.

"Lean down to the bed and try to keep your back flat." He told her.

She did as he asked and was rewarded as he slid back into her. Goosebumps broke out over her skin as she felt the fat ridge of his cock rub over her g-spot eliciting a moan as her eyes started to roll back in her head.

"Oh. Oh, my...Joseph."

"Does that feel good?" He asked as he started slowly rub his cock over that spot waiting for the subtle shake of her thighs.

"Mmmmmm. So...so fucking good." She hummed as she pushed back against him trying to get more friction.

He laughed. She was so eager, and he loved that she took what she wanted. For all of her fears, she still remained pretty uninhibited, and he thought that was damn sexy.

"Do feel me against your g-spot now?" He asked.

"Y-yes."

"Do you want me to fuck you harder?"

"Oh, Yes. Yes. Harder." She hummed as he pressed his hand gently against the middle of her back.

"Oh, yeah. So good Hannah." He said as he started to fuck her with hard, shallow strokes that concentrated right where she needed him.

"Oh...mmmm, fuck yes. Oh, I'm gonna..." She panted before she fell all the way forward and screamed out her release.

Joseph could feel her clamp around him as he set a punishing pace slamming his hips forward picking up the pace. He could feel his release burning a path down his spine as he grabbed her hips to anchor himself, and he came with her name on his lips as he felt her pussy ripple over him as she came again.

"Hannah, you have no idea how amazing that feels." He hummed as he pulled her up so that her back was pressed against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

They were both still shaking as aftershocks rippled through her and over him.

She was almost limp in his arms as she purred like a kitten, "I think it's all you."

"No, Hannah. This is us." He said as he carefully eased out of her.

He stood and carefully positioned her back against the pillows and leaned in for a gentle kiss as he ran his fingers over her body. She watched as Joseph walked into her bathroom, and listened as she heard him fill her big jacuzzi bath.

A few minutes later, he returned and lifted her effortlessly into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. He'd shut off the lights and lit the candles she kept by the tub, and she could smell the vanilla bath oil that she loved clinging to the steam.

He carefully stepped over the ledge and sat down in warm water with her still cradled against him. She loved lounging in this bath after a rough day, but she loved it even more with him surrounding her she realized.

Joseph leaned in and pressed his lips to hers savoring the pretty gasp he'd pulled from her. He carefully scooped her hair up, and she looped it into a knot as she watched him take her in.

He continued kissing her as he scooped up the warm vanilla scented water and poured it over her shoulders, rubbing it over her skin and allowing her to absorb the warmth.

"Hannah?" He asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Mmmm."

"Can I?" He asked as he let his fingers trail over one of the deepest scars on her back.

She looked up at him and tears shimmered in her eyes, she knew what he was asking, but even with him, it was paralyzing. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "You can trust me."

She leaned into him as she took a steadying breath before she slipped from his arms and sat directly in front of him leaning forward, so he had a clear view of all that she had kept hidden.

He'd seen glimpses of them. How could he not they'd spent most of their time together in various stages of undress, but this was different. This time, the scars were on display. She sat waiting for any kind of reaction, and she'd been about to get out of the tub when she felt his fingers trace over her skin.

He spent equal time on each mark as he pressed his lips to each one after his fingers traced over it, and she was powerless to stop the tears that fell. It had happened before; she cried a lot of tears over the reminders, but this time, the tears felt different.

They felt like relief, like rain washing away muddy tracks on the sidewalk.

"I hate that you experienced such pain. I wish that I could wash scars and the memories away and we could watch that pain spiral away as it gets pulled into this drain." He said as he pulled her back into his chest and kissed the mark on her neck.

"But, I can't help thinking that maybe we never would have found each other if circumstances had been different. Would you have come to the DIA? Would you have even talked to me in that bar? Because I don't think I can even imagine my life without you in it now." He wondered aloud.

"I don't know." She stated simply. "I spent 18 months wishing this never happened to me and that will probably never change, but I'm glad that it led me to you."

"Me, too."

She laughed as she remembered how she found herself on a collision course with Joseph McGuire. It seemed that in her effort to help Jaz, she may have inadvertantly gotten a push herself.

"What's funny?" He asked as his hands slid around her pulling her into his warm embrace.

"I talked to Jaz the other day about moving past an experience like hers in Tehran. Coping with the reminders that would always be there. I think maybe she helped me more than I helped her."

"How's that?"

"When I was getting ready to leave, she asked me about how I dealt with men seeing the scars. I knew she was worried about Dalton seeing them, how he would see her. I didn't have the faintest clue, but I knew that wasn't what she needed to hear, so I lied. I told her that it gets easier."

"So. That was a good thing you did. Talking to her. I'm sure that it helped her to see someone who had been through a similar trauma and found a way to move forward." He said.

"Yeah, but I hadn't moved forward. I was standing still watching the world move around me until you showed up and I could no longer justify being a bystander. You smiled at me and took my hand in yours, and it was like being shocked back to life. Does that sound completely insane?"

"No," He said as he kissed her. "It sounds exactly right."

With that, she turned and crawled into his lap as she leaned into the kiss.

"Take me to bed." She whispered.

"With pleasure," He answered for the second time that night.

* * *

Hannah had to be at work by 7:30, so they both woke up to the alarm at six feeling deliciously sore and more than a little sleepy. They'd made love until the sun had started threatening to come up only sleeping for brief periods when exhaustion beat out desire. They showered, and he put on the clothes he'd been wearing the day before, so he was hoping he'd manage to get to his room before he saw anyone from the team.

"Ready?" She asked as she walked into the kitchen.

She, of course, looked incredible which made him want to skip breakfast and eat her instead, but they both had people expecting them this morning.

She halted as she took in the empty food bowls on the floor. He'd fed the kittens and was now curled up in the overstuffed chair with the two of them purring away in his arms.

She walked over and carefully lifted them away as they cried and she let go of a little laugh, "Oh I know. Joseph's irresistible, and he makes me want to purr, too."

She settled them on their bed and smiled at him.

"Irresistible, huh?" He asked.

"Mmmm. Don't even get me started or we'll both be late." She said as she gave him a chaste kiss.

He drove them to the DIA and kissed her on the cheek as she walked into the building, and he headed across the street. He had just about a half an hour before he was supposed to meet the team for breakfast, so he hurried back to his room.

He had flashed the key over the sensor and was almost through the door when he heard Jaz say, "Well, I guess I'm not the only one having a good morning."

He mouthed a four-letter word before he turned to find her smiling up at him.

"Morning Jazzy." He said.

There was no point in making excuses; she would only prolong the torment.

"Hannah deserves to have her world rocked, and I'm betting you're just the man for the job." She said as she patted him on the chest and headed in the direction of her room without another word.

He smiled as he closed his door and leaned back against it. Hannah did deserve everything he could give her, but he was fairly certain he was the one who'd had his world rocked.

* * *

Hopefully, I'll have one last chapter up before the weekend is over. I am working all weekend, but I should have some time to cover their last night and the trip back.

Alright guys, I'm getting a bit fed up with FF, I will still try to post here, but tonight I had two chapters removed from the site. I'm not sure if it's legit or just a rando weird glitch that will resolve itself. However, if it is not a glitch, you can find both Call Me Joseph and The Light Among Shadows full works on AO3 under kelo77

Anyway, I didn't want you guys to think I had abandoned the fic. I am aware my fics stand on the wrong side of the M line and perhaps that's why, but if it is I'd think they'd have just yanked both stories since both dabble in the PWP zone. Anyway, I'll keep you posted if the last two chapters of Call Me Joseph return. They are still in my published folder, so hopefully they'll come back.

If they don't be sure and come find me at AO3.


	6. Slow Hands

Last night in DC, everyone is getting together for Patricia's celebration for being reinstated, and it seems more than a few people might be onto whatever is going on between Hannah and McG, though to be fair subtlety isn't always McG's strong suit.

Lots of interesting things going on in this one and it is a beast at over 7k words. And if you can believe it, there is still one more coming before they go wheels up, though I expect it will be a shorter chapter :)

FYI, NSFW unless you like living on the edge. Enjoy.

* * *

Slow, slow hands

Like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry  
No, no chance  
That I'm leaving here without you on me  
I, I know

Yeah, I already know that there ain't no stoppin'  
Your plans and those  
Slow hands Slow Hands - Niall Horan

* * *

McG was distracted at breakfast; he hadn't even managed to turn the jokes around as the others took shots at him.

"McGuire how can you be tired, you went back to your room at like six last night," Amir said as he caught him trying to stifle another yawn.

"What, haven't you ever slept so much that you feel even more tired?" He asked.

"You don't look like you slept at all," Dalton interjected with a casual smirk as he looked over McG's shoulder.

"Good morning guys, I thought I might catch you here."

McG was out of his seat so fast he almost fell over when he heard her voice, and he was struggling to keep from smiling as he grabbed a chair from a nearby table to slide in next to his. Amir sat with his mouth agape as McG shoved him and his chair over with his foot making room for Hannah to join them.

Once she was seated, he casually asked, "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Her cheeks tinted a pretty shade of pink as the words brought up the memories of pleasure he'd so expertly provided.

"Patricia sent me to make sure that all of you had time set aside to talk to Xander Martin. He's got the whole day cleared for the team today. Jaz, I know you've already met with him, but he said the door is open if you wanted to stop over." She said.

McG flagged down their server and got Hannah a cup of coffee, and Jaz smiled as he fixed it just how she liked it. She knew it had been reflex, and she didn't think anyone else had noticed, but she did.

Dalton huffed a little silent laugh that only Jaz heard. Okay, so he noticed it too.

Hannah took the cup from his hand letting her fingers linger just a second over his.

"Thanks." She said as she took a sip and smiled discreetly into the mug.

Just one more box to check off for Joseph McGuire. He even paid attention to how she took her coffee.

"You know what I'm going to miss when we go back?" Dalton asked the group.

"Not having to eat the food the rest of this group cooks?" Amir said.

"Not having to listen to McGuire snoring." He said.

Hannah laughed, "You snore?" She asked.

"No." He said as he looked genuinely affronted.

Hannah could honestly say she hadn't heard it, but in fairness, they hadn't done much sleeping.

Dalton was watching her as she processed that information and there was no mistaking the blush that was creeping up over her neck and cheeks. He suspected they hadn't slept long enough for McG to ramp up to snoring.

"Is he the only one of you that snores?" Hannah asked trying to turn the discussion towards someone else.

"Probably, but I'm not the only one keeping people up at night," McG said as he stared down Top and Jaz.

Jaz laughed knowing that wasn't entirely false. They didn't have sex in the bunker specifically because of the lack of privacy, but that didn't mean they didn't have some unavoidable make-out sessions in Adam's bed, and she knew they weren't always great about keeping the noise level down.

"So, what's the plan for tonight? Where should we meet up? Can we take Patricia to dinner?" Dalton asked as he decided it was time to turn the topic away from everyone's sex lives.

It seemed he and Jaz weren't the only ones trying to keep things under wraps. Jaz smiled, she really liked Hannah, and she had always had a soft spot for McG.

"Hey, maybe we should go somewhere outside the city. Patricia lives in Alexandria doesn't she?" Jaz asked. "Maybe we could find someplace out that way."

"Yeah, sure. I live in Alexandria; I'm sure we could find a nice quiet place to celebrate with Patricia." Hannah offered.

She immediately thought of a little Italian trattoria that had just opened a couple of blocks from her place. They had a private back room.

"I'll call and make a reservation. Dalton, I can text you the details." She said as she pulled her phone out of her purse. "I'm sorry that I can't stay, but I'll catch all of you tonight." She said as she took another sip of coffee.

"Mmmm. Thanks for the coffee." Hannah offered as she stood and ran her hand over McG's shoulder absently.

She hadn't meant to do it, of that much Dalton was sure, but it told him a lot. This wasn't as casual as they'd probably intended it to be at first.

With that, Hannah dialed the restaurant, and she waved to the group as someone picked up on the other end while she was heading for the front entrance.

McGuire confirmed Dalton's earlier assessment as his eyes lingered over her until she was no longer in his line of sight.

Preach smirked; these boys were dropping like flies.

He knew the feeling; he'd felt it all those years ago when he'd first met his wife. He'd wanted no part of a relationship; he was on leave at the beach in California with a few of his friends tossing a ball back and forth.

He'd thrown a long pass and just as his feet left the ground the most beautiful girl crossed in front of him. He gracelessly fell on his butt and made a complete fool of himself, but she'd just smiled and helped him back up.

His world had never been the same after that.

He'd seen that look on Dalton's face many times over the last few years, but it usually got swallowed up by a dark shadow as he tried to stuff it back down. At that point, he still hadn't learned that there was no stopping it once it had you in its embrace.

It's an invisible tether that would reel you in, and the fighting only tires you out faster. Dalton had fought it like a prized Tarpon flipping and fighting the whole way, but once he'd recognized that she was something to fight for and not against, Dalton had been a goner.

Jaz hooked him ages ago, but he gave up the fight with a single kiss.

Now, Preach was watching as McGuire circled around Hannah. He didn't know the analyst that well, but he thought perhaps she was a little broken.

He'd noticed she had an easy way about her with those she knew, but he'd felt her discomfort when he and Amir had been talking to her at dinner the other night. Not like she was afraid, but she was nervous talking to them. When he saw her with McG later that night, she was different. It wasn't the ease she had with Patricia or Noah, and it wasn't the hesitation he'd witnessed himself.

Preach knew McGuire could talk the feathers off a peacock, and as a medic, he excelled at putting people at ease, but this was different.

It was something else entirely.

She smiled easily around him, and he leaned into her as they spoke. Preach knew well enough that McG was in his element anytime he was in the presence of a beautiful woman, so he could have been reading the situation wrong that night, but any doubts Preach had were quickly dispelled when he'd watched McGuire practically throw Amir out of his seat to make room for Hannah.

Yep, that boy was going down and Preach had a front row seat.

* * *

The group broke up after breakfast heading in different directions. Preach went back to his room to facetime his family while Amir, McG, and Dalton headed across the street to catch up with Martin. Jaz walked over with them, but she headed for the communications room to visit with Noah, Hannah, and Patricia.

She'd had about enough of people venturing into her headspace for the week.

On her way up, she spotted Hannah near the vending machines down the hall.

"Hey there," Jaz said as she stepped into the room.

"Hey, are you here to see Xander?"

"Nope. I was just coming by to visit. No offense to Martin, but I'm all talked out."

"I get it. I've been there myself." Hannah said as she smiled.

"Yeah, I bet you have," Jaz said as she glanced back towards the door. "So...Joseph."

Hannah looked panicked until Jaz just cracked a huge smile.

"Yeah, well it seems like I owe you a thank you," Hannah said.

"Me. Why?"

Hannah looped her arm through Jaz's and said, "Why don't we go someplace and talk."

Jaz nodded and followed her down to the lobby and down the street to a coffee shop where they sat in a quiet corner.

"I wasn't totally honest with you the other day."

"What do you mean?"

"When you asked me how I dealt with men seeing my scars, I said it gets easier, but the truth is I hadn't let a man get close enough to find out," Hannah said as she stared at her hands.

Jaz put a hand over hers, "But you have now, haven't you?"

"Yes," She said as a flush rose up on her cheeks. "I don't know why, but Joseph just has this way about him. He puts me at ease I guess. It certainly doesn't hurt that he has a smile that could light up the darkest corners of my mind, and my god he's beautiful." Hannah gushed.

Jaz laughed. "He is one of a kind, and he has a good heart."

"You know for eighteen months I had resigned myself to keep all of it hidden. I was ready to spend the rest of my life alone. It wasn't what I wanted, but I just couldn't talk myself into letting anyone see me. I was sure that any man that saw what I showed you would never see anything but the scars."

Jaz squeezed her hand, but she knew Hannah had to finish her train of thought.

"And what the hell was I supposed to say to a guy if he wasn't aware of my line of work? It's not like I could explain being butchered by a cartel boss while I was vacationing in Mexico with my girlfriends. And I certainly couldn't tell anyone I worked as an undercover asset for the CIA. So, yeah, I was going to just put my head down and focus on my professional life and forget about trying to have a personal relationship. Maybe forever."

"I get how that would seem like the most impossible hurdle. I mean, Dalton had already seen my injuries, and I still built it up to be this awful thing that he'd never be able to see past. I can only imagine how much harder it would be if it was someone I didn't know, and I couldn't tell them the truth about how any of it happened. And to hold onto that for as long as you did, I'm sure it just seemed easier to let go of any plans to build a personal relationship."

"But, I still don't see how I made the difference. It seems like McGuire deserves the credit." Jaz added.

"After I talked to you, I realized that I needed to take my own words to heart. I saw the way Dalton looked at you, the way that you looked at him. It's what made me realize how much I would be giving up if I didn't try."

"And McG, how did he factor in," Jaz asked.

"Well, obviously, when I met him I couldn't help but notice him. And when I caught him watching me during dinner, I guess I just decided that I could do worse than a gorgeous man with a medical background. I mean at least he had probably seen worse, right?"

"I'm sure he has."

"Anyway, when we were talking at the bar, he seemed into me, so I decided to go for it. I figured a man like that would at the very least show me a good time. And I wasn't wrong." She said as her cheeks practically glowed.

"I have never been more scared in my whole life, maybe not even when I was being pulled from my car on the side of the road in Mexico. I mean, I was certain I was going to die that night, and that brings a certain kind of resignation, but showing the scars to someone and opening myself up to that kind of rejection, I knew it would have been the last time I tried if he'd pulled away from me."

"But he didn't. He wouldn't." Jaz offered.

"No. And I think on some level I knew he wouldn't. He was wonderful. I think I might have fallen for him right then and there. And that is beyond terrifying. He's going to get on that plane tomorrow and..." Hannah stopped as her emotions stuck like a burning ember in her chest.

"Hannah, I saw McGuire this morning when he was coming back from spending the night with you, at least that's where I think he was." She said as Hannah confirmed with a nod. "He's not going to be looking for women to warm his bed when we get back to reality, not unless that woman is you."

"I know, he told me as much, but I still can't help thinking that distance might change his mind."

"Hannah, I have been living under the same roof with Joseph McGuire for almost three years, and he still doesn't know how I take my coffee. So, I don't think you're the only one whose world has been rocked." Jaz said. "Besides, when he shoved Amir out of the way, I thought we were about to witness a real-life version of The Hunger Games."

Hannah couldn't help but laugh; there was no point in denying that Joseph McGuire had rocked her world.

Unfortunately, she had to get back to the office, and Jaz was planning to meet Dalton at the coffee shop, so Hannah left her sitting in the booth with a hug, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For being strong enough to show me that relationships are still worth the risk. You and Dalton, you are both strong enough together to weather anything that comes your way."

With that, Hannah stood and made her way to the door just as Dalton was walking in.

"She's in the back," Hannah said with a smile.

* * *

McG felt like his skin was on fire, all he could think about was Hannah and all the things that he wanted to do with her before he had to leave.

The list was long and dirty, but there was one thing that had never found its way onto his mental checklist before.

He wanted to make love to her, long and slow.

He needed to feel her skin warm under his touch. He wanted to taste the sweetness of her kiss and listen as her breath stuttered in her chest right before he slid inside of her. He wanted to link his fingers with hers as he watched the pleasure consume her, and he wanted to feel his own pleasure coursing through him as she came down around him.

Then, he wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her until the sun rose because he knew it wouldn't be enough.

It was about five o'clock when he unraveled his frayed mind from that fantasy, and it was almost time for him to meet the team in the lobby, but first, he'd have to suffer through a cold shower.

The first he'd had since he was a teenager.

Fuck if this pretty girl wasn't burrowed deep under his skin.

* * *

McG made it down to the lobby early, turns out you don't linger in the shower when there's frost on the mirror.

Dalton was the only one there when he arrived.

"So...You wanna talk?" Dalton asked casually as he sat on one of the couches in the lobby.

"About?"

"Anything. Nothing."

"Hannah?"

"Yeah, that too."

"Look Top; I'm not gaming her. You know me, I never tell lies to get a woman to warm my bed, and Hannah isn't just any woman."

"You think I can't see that?"

"So, what do you want then?"

"Nothing. I want both of you to be happy. It's just she more than anyone deserves the best that you can give her."

"You don't think I know that?"

"I know that you do. It's stupid really, you are one of my closest friends, and Hannah, well let's just say I was looped in on her time with the CIA in real time. She'd been on my shortlist to fill Elijah's spot when..."

"Oh...Oh god. Did you...I don't think I want to know." McG said.

"I heard the comms. I heard Hannah's screams, and I heard her team frantically trying to reach her," Dalton started. "It haunts me to this day."

McG could feel his chest burn as he thought of what Top must have heard.

"That night should have broken Hannah. It would have broken a lesser woman, hell it would have broken most men. I guess what I'm saying is that if you let her fall in love with you, and I have no doubt that she will because, in spite of the company you've kept in the past, you are one of the best men I know. So, I need you to make sure that you can love her back. If that's not something you can do, then maybe it's time to rein it in. Because...Well...I think losing you would be worse than everything she's already been through. I love you like a brother, but I can't help feeling protective of Hannah, too."

"Top, I don't know if she loves me, or even if she wants that from me, but I can tell you that I would walk through fire to keep her from a single moment of pain, especially at my hand. I'm not ready to slap a label on it, and I know we have a lot of hurdles with us shipping out tomorrow, but hell if I'm not going to do everything I can to see this through."

Dalton nodded satisfied with his response, "Okay then. How about we shelve this discussion for another time and focus on having some fun tonight."

McG clasped a hand over his shoulder and nodded as the rest of the team filed off the elevator and headed towards them.

* * *

Everyone gathered for dinner to celebrate Patricia's reinstatement where they shared some laughs, good food, and lots of wine. It was nice to get the whole team together away from a working environment.

They enjoyed themselves so much they hadn't even realized three hours had passed while they were sharing stories and talking about things that had nothing to do with work.

Around 10:30, Jaz looked up at everyone and suggested they go dancing. At some point, she had wandered into the tipsy stage, and she wanted to keep the buzz going.

"Hannah wants to go dancing don't you Hannah?" She whisper yelled across the table.

Dalton just smiled and got a chuckle as he watched her shed the somewhat reserved exterior that she'd been clinging to since Tehran. If taking her dancing would keep that beautiful smile on her face, he was willing to make that happen.

McG was on the same page. He wouldn't be complaining about holding Hannah in his arms while they let the music flow over them.

"Of course Hannah wants to go dancing." He answered as he smiled at her.

Patricia bowed out as she suggested the rest of them go and have fun.

Preach just laughed and pointed to Amir saying, "Just remember what happened the last time Jazzy convinced you and McG to go out dancing."

Hannah glanced between the three of them waiting for the story that accompanied his comment.

"Yeah, so Jazzy and I had been having a couple of drinks back at the bunker and shooting some nine ball when she had the bright idea that we should go into town to go dancing. Anyway, Amir was new to the team, and he obviously doesn't drink," McG said pointing to his glass of soda water. "So, he had no idea what kind of night he was in for."

"Yeah, so we headed into town, and I think we'll spend an hour or two at this club. I was certain I could outlast the pair of them after they'd both consumed half their weight in alcohol. Next thing I know, I'm crawling into the bunker at six in the morning while these two have enough energy to look like Tigger hopped up on speed. It took me three days to recover from that night, and they never looked any worse for wear. And they never let me forget it." Amir finished.

Hannah laughed as she glanced at Amir and said, "Awe, I'm sorry Amir, not all men are blessed with such superior stamina."

McG promptly spit out his drink and started choking as soon as the words left her mouth.

"I'll have you know there is nothing wrong with my stamina," Amir said as he laughed.

"Nah, it's just that McGuire's is legendary," Dalton added.

He'd known the medic for a long time now, and they'd had many a late night both in the field and away from it. The man never seemed to get drunk, and he always seemed to be the life of the party. Dalton also knew that he wasn't one to shortchange a woman in his bed, he and Jaz had learned that lesson after staying in hotel rooms that were next to each other in Seville.

Not that Dalton intended to share how he knew that about his friend.

McG just laughed and winked at Hannah who was the shade of a perfectly ripe tomato. She knew all about his stamina, and now everyone else's attention was focused on her.

* * *

The group left the restaurant a few minutes later as Hannah led the way to a bar a couple of blocks down. Noah and Amir had come along, but they didn't stay for more than a half an hour before they bowed out as well.

McG and Dalton were sitting with their backs to the bar watching as Jaz and Hannah danced like they didn't have a care in the world.

"It's nice to see that," Dalton said as he pointed his beer in the direction of the girls.

"Yeah, I'm glad they made that connection. Was that your doing?" McG asked. "Hannah told me she talked to Jaz."

"Oh. No. Well, yes and no. I asked Patricia if she thought Hannah would talk to Jaz."

"Well, I think it was good for both of them," McG said.

The conversation came to an abrupt end as a slow song with a seductive beat came through the speakers, and both girls were beckoning them to the dance floor. It was like an invisible tether pulling towards them.

"Dance with me," Hannah whispered as he pulled her into his arms.

Joseph had a look in his eyes that she wished she could memorize, it was equal parts adoring and predatory. She shuddered as his hands fell to her hips then lightly ran up her sides as he raised her left arm up and anchored it to his shoulders.

"Stay there." He whispered in her ear as he linked his fingers with her free hand and pressed them carefully to her lower back.

She sighed as he settled a leg between hers and started to move their hips to the sexy beat that was surrounding them. Hannah could feel the delicious friction that he gave her starting the low burn of desire coursing through her bloodstream.

They were starting to get lost in the moment as his free hand skimmed up her side stopping at the middle of her ribcage before he let his thumb slide discreetly under the swell of her breast as he held her. When she looked back up at him, his eyes were like fire looking to consume her like she was all the oxygen in the room.

She was powerless to stop the attraction that pulsed between them like an electrical current.

More importantly, she didn't want to stop it.

Even as the pace of the music ratcheted up again, the two of them remained lost to what was happening around them as Joseph leaned into her and sealed his lips over hers. The kiss was pure passion.

Her skin prickled as heat flooded over her; his left hand was still resting at her side with his thumb brushing softly under the curve of her breast. To anyone watching it looked innocent, but the way her body was reading it, it was anything but.

His right hand quickly found it's way to the nape of her neck as his fingernails scraped deliciously over her scalp sending chills down her spine and drawing a sweet little moan from her lips that he happily swallowed as he continued to nip and suck at her lower lip.

It was a kiss unlike any she'd ever experienced before, even with Joseph. It was like he was committing every touch, every little moan, every sigh, every stuttered breath to memory.

She needed more.

"I want you to take me home." She hummed between kisses.

"Mmmm. And what do you want me to do once we get there?" He asked as one of his hands slid low pressing her hips even closer to his.

She lost her train of thought momentarily as she felt just how much these kisses were affecting him, but she quickly snapped out of it.

"I need you to fuck me." She said as she glanced up at him with her pupils blown wide with desire.

"And what if I don't want to do that?"

Confusion fell over her beautiful face for a moment until he continued.

"What if I want to take my time and make love to you, long and slow?"

"Yes please." She said as she reached for his hand and started to head out of the bar.

McG pulled back for a minute as he glanced around for Dalton and Jaz, he didn't see them anywhere, so he led her back to the bar where they'd been sitting earlier.

The bartender spotted them as they approached and handed Joseph a note in Dalton's handwriting.

* * *

 ** _Get a room - Top_**

* * *

He flashed it to Hannah, and she laughed out loud.

McG walked the few blocks to Hannah's house with her under his arm stealing kisses as they went. A five-minute walk took them almost thirty for that very reason.

Once they were inside her house, he locked her door and threw her over his shoulder as he moved effortlessly up the stairs. When he hit the top landing, his knees nearly buckled as he felt her sink her teeth into his ass.

"I'm sorry did you just bite me on the ass?" He asked as he dropped her back on the bed.

"How was I supposed to resist when faced with such a perfect butt?"

He smiled and said, "Well, I might just have to return that favor."

"Promise?"

"Oh sweet girl, you have no idea." He hummed as he undid the buttons on her blouse. "Tonight, I'm going to make you feel so good that it'll carry you through the next month until I get back."

She shuddered in anticipation as he helped her to stand in front of him and pulled down the zipper on her skirt letting it fall to the floor. Pretty soon she was standing in front of him with just a silk camisole and a pale pink thong that looked incredible on her olive skin.

"You are so beautiful." He said as he slipped the thin strap from her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her heated skin.

She stared up at him as she took in the hungry look in his eyes, "When you look at me like that, all I want is to let you consume me."

"And I will, but first, I want to do something to make you feel good," he whispered as he slid the other strap down allowing the camisole to float to the ground and pool at her feet.

He set her back on the bed as he walked into her bathroom and flicked the light on. By the time he came back, he had stripped down to his boxers, and he had a towel in his hand along with a bottle of her vanilla body oil.

Her skin prickled as she started to put two and two together.

"Pretty girl, I need you to trust me. I'm going to make you feel so good you'll forget about everything but me." He whispered as he stroked her cheek.

She fidgeted for a second as he spread the towel out on her bed and lifted her like she was weightless settling her right where he wanted her. A moment later he crawled in after her and spread her legs enough that he could kneel between them.

"Close your eyes and trust me to take care of you." He said as he opened the bottle and drizzled some of the oil into the palm of his hand.

She listened as he rubbed his palms together, her skin prickling with heat as she waited to see where his hands would land first. She hadn't been expecting them on her foot, but when his thumb kneaded into her arch, she was powerless to stop the moan that fell from her lips.

Joseph was methodical as he worked one foot then the other before he kneaded the muscles of her calves at the same time. Both of his hands worked in a dual assault as they crept ever closer to her center.

By the time she felt his fingers kneading into the curve of her ass, she was boneless and humming in appreciation. She cringed when she felt the warm oil drizzle over her back in thin rivulets, but then his fingers came into contact with her skin, and the tension ebbed away.

Joseph was gentle as he ran his fingers over each scar paying each one careful attention, he could see a couple of tears track down her cheeks as he went, and each time he leaned in and kissed them away, but he never stopped touching her.

"Someday, I'll have done this enough that you'll believe me when I say that everything about you is beautiful. Until then, I'll keep trying to prove it to you." He whispered as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.

He continued to work the muscles of her back and down both of her arms finish with her hands. Hannah had never realized that her hands were a hot button, but with Joseph, she was starting to think he could touch her anywhere and she'd be turned on.

When he finished, she turned onto her back and smiled back at him dreamily, "damn you are good with your hands."

He didn't respond, he just pressed his hips to hers and leaned in for a kiss that took her from a lazy simmer to a pressure cooker in about three seconds.

"I'm not finished yet." He hummed as he kissed her again.

She just fell back to the pillows as she knew he was going to be the death of her.

He started at her feet again as he worked his way up to the juncture of her thighs rubbing slow deep circles into her flesh. When he got to her panties, he jumped up to her hips as she whined at the detour, but that was quickly forgotten as she felt the warm oil drizzle over her belly and down over her breasts.

His hands went from kneading to caressing at that point, and she was practically vibrating with desire. Her heart was hammering away in her chest as his thumbs circled around her nipples as his hands were pressed to the lower curve on either side.

When he finally moved on to her shoulders, he pressed his chest to hers, and she let go of the most devastatingly sexy sound he'd ever heard. It was somewhere between a cry and a moan, and it made his cock slap impatiently at his belly.

McG actually had to squeeze the shit out of himself to rein in his control at that moment.

"Mmmm, fuck baby. Tell me what I need to do to make you do that again."

She couldn't answer him because she was breathless with need.

When he pressed his thumbs to her neck, she whimpered and pressed her hips tighter against his; she was lost in the moment.

Joseph continued to rub his thumbs into her neck and down between her shoulder blades as he kissed her with a slow, deliberate rhythm as his cock started to rub over her core. Her panties were soaked, and she was certain that his soon would be as well.

When he felt her body rock into his, his hands made their way back down to her breasts as he captured one nipple in his mouth while he rubbed his thumb over the other. He could hear her panting above him as he worked her, and he was so ready to slide into her and make her scream his name, but that thought was quickly replaced with something else as she started to whimper beneath him.

"Tell me what you need pretty girl." He asked.

"Mmmm, don't stop." She moaned as she continued to roll her hips with his.

When he returned his lips to her nipple, he let his teeth graze over her, and his world turned upside down. Hannah cried out as her back went stiff and he felt the warmth of her cum as it soaked into his boxer briefs.

"Did you..." He started to ask, but he already knew the answer. "Uhhh, baby girl that was so...incredibly hot."

She blushed as she let her hand travel to the front of his boxers, "please, take these off."

He stood and peeled her thong from her body followed by his boxers as he crawled back between her legs before he finally put his mouth on her.

"Oh god, I don't think I can. Oh..." She cried as he slipped two fingers into her.

"God, you're so wet I think I could slide right into you."

"Oh please." She begged.

"I'll be right back."

She watched his retreating form as he walked into the bathroom and washed his hands, when he walked back out he was rolling a condom down his length.

True to his word, he climbed over her and slid all the way home. Her back arched as a moan tore from her lips when he bottomed out and then slowly eased out.

"God you feel so fucking good." He mumbled as he pressed his lips to the scar on her neck and let his chest rub over hers.

When Joesph leaned up on his elbows, he rubbed his thumbs over her temples coaxing her eyes open.

"I will never get tired of the way you look when we make love." He hummed as he kissed her, his eyes never leaving hers.

There wasn't a shred of urgency to their movements as they absorbed each other's warmth. She was so wrapped up in this man that she couldn't bring herself to rush through this to claim her pleasure.

His right hand worked it's way down to her thigh as he pulled her knee up towards his hip so he could get even deeper. And when his free hand pressed down right above her pubic bone she felt him as he rubbed over that spot that made her legs jerk involuntarily and caused goosebumps to rise on her flesh as a flash of scalding hot desire traveled down her spine.

She'd never felt anything like it before Joseph; it was like a flicker of fire jolting through every nerve on it's way to her core, and he was just fanning the flames.

It was even hotter because he knew exactly what he was doing to her. He knew that she was close when her chest turned that pretty pink hue and that when her legs shook, he was hitting all the right spots, and finally that she'd reached the boiling point when she constricted around his cock.

When he felt all of her tells, he snapped his hips forward at a dizzying pace. His heart was hammering in his chest as he gave her what she needed and he knew he would be mere seconds behind her.

"Oh fuck, Hannah...Oh god, you feel so good." He hummed as he felt her body cling to that last thread trying not to let go.

After nearly two hours, sweat was dripping off his beard and falling against her overheated skin. He could swear her skin was so hot that it evaporated on contact.

"Baby girl, I need you to cum so bad," he growled.

"Oh...Yeah, keep doing that." She cried as he pressed the heel of his hand against her lower belly.

"Oh...Yeah. Fuck, Please Joseph. Harder."

"Oh fuck baby girl, I don't know how much harder I can go." He said as he grit his teeth and slammed his hips to hers over an over.

"Uh, uh, uh, Joseph, oh. Oh god. I'm gonna...Oh..."

"Fuck yeah!" He growled as he felt her body bow beneath him as she came harder than he'd ever felt before.

She shook in his arms as he kept thrusting erratically until finally, he came in hot jerking spasms. His whole body convulsed with pleasure as she continued to shudder through a series of aftershocks.

When he thought he'd come down, he started to pull out, and his body jerked as he felt his own aftershock, "Oh fuck."

He collapsed onto his side pulling her with him as he continued to feel ripples of pleasure coursing through him, he was spent.

They stayed like that as he brushed damp tendrils of hair from her face and pressed kisses to her lips as he just watched her.

"God, you are so damn pretty." He hummed.

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but you're not so bad to look at either. As my fifteen-year-old niece would say, you are the very definition of hot AF."

"I bet her mom loves that."

"No, fortunately, my brother's wife is pretty clueless, I don't think she knows what it means."

He laughed.

He got up and walked into the bathroom and got rid of the condom when he came back he picked her up and pulled the covers back before he set her in the bed and crawled in behind her and snuggled into her.

Before he could get comfortable, she turned and looked into his eyes for a moment before she placed her hand over his heart.

"I'm going to fall in love with you." She stated matter of factly. "You don't have to love me back."

"Baby girl, not falling in love with you hasn't been an option since the first time I held you in my arms. That's just non-negotiable."

She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek as she looked at him, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you are everything I want. Sweet girl, my heart has been yours since you showed me what real bravery is. I have no idea how you survived what you did, and I can't even imagine how hard the road back was, but you don't have to travel it alone."

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she rubbed her thumb over his lower lip, and as the first tear fell she pressed her lips to his.

"God, I don't know what I'm going to do for the next month." She said as she smiled at him.

"Phone sex?" He said with a smirk.

"Yes, because there's nothing sexier than phone sex with four people within earshot." She laughed.

"They won't be able to hear you, and they could use something other than my snoring to bitch about."

"Ha ha ha."

"Ok, so no phone sex. Dirty texts?"

"On government-issued phones. Uh, no."

"Burners."

She just laughed, they would figure out how to cope for the next month, of that she was certain.

"Come here; I want to sleep with you in my arms tonight."

"Mmmm. Are you sleepy?" She crooned as she snuggled into him.

"I'm fucking spent."

"Mmmm. So good though."

"Life changing, but I think I knew you would be life changing from the moment I laid eyes on you."

* * *

Up next, goodbyes are coming... :(


	7. Coming Back For You

Well, this is the last chapter in DC.

It is both NSFW AND will probably require some tissues...you have been warned.

I do not own The Brave. I do however own a vivid imagination and anything that spellcheck didn't catch.

Enjoy

* * *

So you better wait up keeping the bed warm for me  
All night putting your whisper on me  
Giving that love and emotion that I know  
Doesn't really matter what you do  
I'll be back for you  
I'm coming back for you yeah

I know there are millions of miles in between our hearts  
But I will come running for you I don't care how far  
When you close your eyes, do you see me love  
Am I keeping you awake  
What you scared about are you giving up  
When you know, you know you know

You know that I'm coming back for you  
Don't you worry girl, don't you worry girl

Coming Back For You - Maroon 5

* * *

Hannah loved the way that Joseph cuddled into her in the aftermath. He stared into her eyes and brushed his fingers through her hair as he smiled at her making her heart flutter wildly in her chest.

She had no idea how this man had managed to invade her life so fully in just a few days, but she struggled to think of a time when he wasn't there. She'd loved waking up wrapped in his arms, the way he squeezed her to him as he hovered between sleep and awareness.

But, more than anything she loved the minutes after they were both happily sated and just enjoyed the soft, sleepy smiles and light, lingering touches.

She smiled as she lightly scraped her fingernails over the roughness of his beard, "Mmmm, you are so yummy to look at."

He laughed, no one had ever called him yummy, but if she wanted a taste, he didn't plan to stop her.

Hannah rubbed her thumb over his lower lip, there were a lot of things about him that got her blood going, but for some reason, this lip did things to her. Good things.

She knew what it tasted like and how it felt as it pressed against her lips in a bruising kiss, she also knew how it felt as he laved her nipple and especially what it felt like as it surrounded her clit. His cock wasn't the only part of him that was magic.

Hannah smiled as his tongue brought her back to the moment when it wrapped around her thumb.

"Kiss me," He whispered as he leaned into her.

She didn't think she could ever say no to him, and his kisses were enough to make her drunk with desire. Joseph kissed with a power and intensity that made her feel like she was the air that filled his lungs, the only thing that could sustain him.

Even six months ago that would have scared the shit out of her, but as his hands bracketed her jaw with him sipping at her lips like she was the finest wine he'd ever tasted she wasn't afraid.

She was freely walking into the deep end.

* * *

Before long, his hands had found their way around her pulling her into his embrace so he could absorb her warmth. Her skin felt like fire, but it was the only thing that could soothe him.

Joseph knew before long they would be separated by an ocean.

"I don't know how I can be holding you in my arms and still ache for you." He said as he wove his fingers through her hair anchoring her mouth to his.

"Mmmm. I don't want you to go." She hummed as she trapped him with her leg coiling it over his hip to bring his semi-hard cock into direct contact with her wet heat.

"Fuck, what I wouldn't give to feel the wet, hot clasp of your pussy on me." He hummed as he slipped so effortlessly through her wetness and dragged over her clit earning him a shudder of approval.

"Yes." She hummed.

The thought did have some appeal; she had to admit.

"Baby girl," He whispered as he rubbed his thumbs over her cheekbones. "I will do that, soon. But, you know that I've been anything but a monk in the past. I've never done that with anyone, but I want to make sure that when I do that with you, it's with your safety in mind."

"I'm on the pill."

"Mmmm, and that's amazing, but I want you to know that I would never put you at risk. I need that to never be in doubt. So, I need you to stop rubbing that pretty pussy on my cock before I forget my resolve." He said with a pained laugh.

She pouted making him want to bite her full lower lip, but she did ease up a little bit. He was both happy and frustrated by the lack of contact.

As her skin heated again, the intensity of her scent started to swirl around him. It was soothing and intoxicating at the same time, warm notes of vanilla and sticky sweet honey.

It was the most concentrated in that little hollow at the base of her neck, and that was one of his favorite spots because it always made goosebumps prickle over her skin.

As he laved that spot with his tongue, his calloused hand slowly traversed over her side until he could caress the soft skin of her hip. Someday, he wanted to test every inch of her skin, but he was sure the spot at her hip where the slight curve of her belly met the hard plane of her hip bone was the softest.

Well, maybe not quite, Joseph thought as he let his fingers slip lower until he could slide them into her. His lips still lingered on that soft patch of skin he'd discovered, but his fingers rubbed deliciously over the engorged little hot button that made her go liquid around him. Literally and figuratively.

"Mmmmm, how do you do that?" She asked as a breathy moan fell from her lips.

"Do what?"

"Find that spot like its a switch only you know how to flip." She panted.

He smiled against the soft swell of her flat belly, "Mmmm, no one's ever done that before?"

It was a question, but she knew he was also flooded with pride as he pressed in a little more firmly.

"Uhhh, no. Not even a little bit." She hummed as she pushed her hips towards his seeking fingers.

"Maybe it helps that I'm well versed in the female anatomy. And I was a really good student." He mumbled as he pressed his cheek to her thigh and watched her hips roll against his hand.

"Mmmm, I bet you had girls lining up to be your test subject." She groaned.

"Maybe, but they were just practice. I want you to be my final exam."

"God, you are a smooth talker Joseph McGuire."

"I am..." He said as he curled his fingers inside of her as he pressed his free hand against her lower belly. "But Hannah, this isn't just talk."

"Mmmm. You're going to make me cum." She breathed as she rolled her hips hard against him amplifying the sounds of her arousal coating his fingers.

"Mmmm, that's my plan." He said as he sucked in a heavy breath pressing a third finger into her and eliciting a deep guttural groan.

"No one else has ever made me..."She stuttered as the first ripples of pleasure started to pulse through her.

"Made you what?" He asked as he watched his fingers disappear inside of her.

"Oh Joseph, ah, ah...Yes." She cried as he started to press against her g-spot with heavy strokes.

"Cum like..."

"Like what?" He growled as he shifted to his knees to gain some leverage as he started to pull hard against her g-spot.

"Oh, fuck!" She screamed as he literally tore her orgasm from her as she soaked his fingers.

He laid back between her legs again with his head resting on her belly as he eased her down from the high he'd given her rubbing gently as she continued to flutter around his fingers.

"Like what?" He asked again as he pressed a kiss to her belly.

"Like that..."She hummed. "Like a molten explosion that I couldn't stop if I wanted to."

"No?" He asked as he looked up at her.

"Not even close," she said as he finally eased out of her.

"Well, their loss. It's fucking beautiful. God, it makes me so hot when I can feel you cum like that when it drips down my thighs as I chase my own orgasm." He told her as he shuddered with pleasure just thinking about it.

"You know, you really are a different breed." She told him.

"How do you mean?"

"Most guys idea of discussing sex begins and ends with asking if I came. With you, I feel like you're an open book. I think I could ask you anything and you'd give me an honest answer."

"Baby girl, if a man has to ask a woman if she came, he's doing it all wrong."

"Or maybe you just do everything right." She said as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I don't mind having that distinction." He said as he scraped his teeth over her belly before crawling up so he could kiss her. "You know this morning when I saw Jaz; she said that you deserved to have your world rocked."

Hannah's cheeks turned pink as she thought about how that conversation came about. Obviously, Jaz and Dalton knew this was a thing, but the fact that they knew he'd rocked her world was a lot to absorb.

"And she was certain you'd be able to do that?" Hannah asked as she rubbed her cheek against his beard.

"I don't know about that, but I do think that she knew when Top introduced us that you were going to rock mine. She's a little ninja that gets into people's heads." He added with a smile. "And baby girl, make no mistake, you have turned my world upside down. In the best way."

Hannah looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes as a smile curved over her lips, and he knew she was done talking.

Her hand pressed flat to the middle of his chest as she pushed him to his back. She traced her fingers over the ridges of his abs as she slid back between his legs letting her hair cascade over his skin.

There was something about the feeling of a woman's silky hair tracing over the most sensitive parts of a man's body. She smiled as she watched his chest rise and fall rapidly while he waited for her to make a move.

"Honey, I need to see those pretty lips wrapped around my cock." He growled as his patience started to ebb away from him.

"Mmmm." She hummed as she pressed her lips to his tip. "Like this?"

His abs rippled as she wrapped her fingers around him tightly while her lips finally opened taking the tip into her mouth and letting her tongue slip over him. He was already on a knife's edge from touching her.

"Oh babe, this isn't going to last long." He mumbled as he slipped his fingers through her hair supporting her head, but not guiding her movements.

His body went rigid as she hummed her response and let her fingers slip down to his balls as she gently stroked her fingers over them. It was almost too much as he slipped through the tight seal of her lips and he knew he was completely done when he felt her thumb press firmly in that little spot in between the base of his cock and his ass.

"Holy fuck, Hannah!" He shouted as he came without warning, his whole body convulsed beneath her.

He was still shaking when he heard her lips come away from him with a pop and the sound of her humming as she licked her lips. He opened his eyes just in time to see her rubbing her thumb over the corner of her mouth before it slipped between her teeth.

"Seems like I'm not the only one who knows how to push buttons." He said as he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers.

"I'm only interested in pushing your buttons." She whispered as she clasped her hands against is jaw so she could drive the kiss.

"One day soon, we're going to spend the whole day in bed until we both find all the buttons." He whispered as he cuddled her into his arms.

The clock read 6:20 am. The hours were ticking away, and it made his heart heavy.

* * *

McG texted Top at seven to let him know he wouldn't be meeting them for breakfast.

Top texted him back a short time later as he watched Hannah sleep.

 _Meet in the lobby at noon. Leave it all on the table, don't let there be things unsaid._

Top was the person who knew him best in the world. His mom might be an exception, but she didn't know Hannah. He wanted her to know her though.

Soon.

If anyone knew about things being left unsaid, it was Top. He had faced the very real possibility that he might lose Jaz and they'd both been haunted by the things they hadn't thought to tell one another. He'd never really had to consider how his work would affect someone in his life because he'd simply never allowed anyone to get close enough to him.

Hannah was there though; he could feel her coiled around his heart like she was coiled around his body as she slept. Joseph could no longer see the appeal of one night stands because when he closed his eyes, all he wanted to see was her, to feel her.

"I love you, Hannah." He whispered as she slept on.

He could feel the ghost of a smile curve her lips as they were pressed against his bicep, but her eyes never fluttered open.

His mind drifted as he concentrated on the soft sigh of contentment that fell from her lips and curled around him like a blanket. He'd never sought out a relationship in his adult life, there had always been too many unknowns in his world, but as he drifted back to sleep with Hannah in his arms, he couldn't imagine his life without her in it.

* * *

The alarm went off at ten, and Hannah wasn't in bed any longer. He headed into the bathroom to find her but found his pants folded neatly on the bench by her tub and a shower that was still fogged up from recent use.

He contemplated going to find her, but he decided that a shower was a good idea, so he reached in and turned on the water. A few minutes later he was standing under the hot spray as he washed her from his skin.

He hated that thought.

Before that was allowed to settle in his chest like a brick, he heard her footsteps on the stairs. A moment later, he saw the blurry outline of her as she entered the bathroom.

"I brought you some coffee." She said over the cascading water.

"Bring it here." He laughed as he reached a hand through the glass enclosure.

When her hand was within reach, he took the mug of coffee from her hand and set it on the side of the tub before he flicked his fingers over the towel that still clung to her skin. Her hair was still damp, so he figured she'd get over being dragged back into the shower quickly.

She was pressed against the tile under the warm spray before her towel even hit the ground as he pressed a hand to her jaw and settled in for a languid kiss. He didn't push for more; he didn't need it.

He just wanted to steal one last moment with her.

"I hate that I have to leave you. It's sitting about as comfortably as a two-ton elephant on my chest, but I can't leave you without telling you what's on my mind."

"Okay." She answered hesitantly as she tried to read what he was thinking.

"You weren't a part of my plans." He started.

Her heart stalled as his words hit her.

Joseph saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes as he raised her chin, so her eyes had to meet his.

"You weren't in my plans, but in my line of work, we rarely plan for good things to happen. We plan for the worst-case scenarios, the life and death situations, the inevitable. I never planned for you, but if I could have laid out a plan for the best thing to happen to me in this life...I wouldn't change a thing."

He could feel her pulse racing thumb, and he watched as a tear slid down her cheek before he pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that laid bare everything he was feeling.

When they were both good and breathless, Joseph pressed his forehead to hers and rocked her world again.

"I love you, Hannah Rivera."

* * *

They made their way back to DC a short while later. Her hands were shaking in her lap as he drove, so he reached out and clasped his hand over hers.

"Four weeks." He said as he glanced at her.

She smiled, but it fell a little flat as her lip quivered with emotions she was trying hard to keep in check.

They rode the elevator side by side as he went and changed his clothes from the ones he'd worn the night before and packed up his things. As he slung his bag over his shoulder, he wrapped his other arm around her, and they walked out into the hallway.

"Four weeks." She said as she looked up at him and finally lost the battle to hold the tears at bay.

The elevator came and went as he dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around her pressing his lips to her forehead.

"We're going to find a way. I'll call you whenever I can, and we will figure this out." He whispered as he rubbed his hand down her back in soothing circles.

"I love you." She whispered as she pressed her lips to the pulse point in his neck. "I can't say goodbye to you in front of the team."

She knew she would never be able to hold it together.

"Okay. Did you want to go down first?" He asked.

She nodded, and he pressed the call button.

"I love you, baby girl." He hummed as he rocked her in his arms until the door slid open.

His heart dropped as he watched the doors close, and all he wanted to do jump in and wipe the tears from her eyes.

* * *

Joseph took a couple of extra minutes to get his shit together before he pressed the call button. When he got to the lobby, he felt like he had himself under control.

He was good.

When the doors opened, Top was standing there waiting.

"This hitting you as hard as it is Hannah?" He asked as he pressed his hand to his shoulder and pushed him towards a nearby hallway.

McG actually felt the shine in his eyes, and he had to clench his teeth to keep his lip from shaking as he nodded stiffly. He would have been fine, but watching her cry over him broke his heart.

"Jaz spotted her before anyone else did, she took her down through the garage. If you need another minute, take your time."

"Thanks, Top." He said as he clasped his hand over Dalton's as it rested on his shoulder.

"You say everything you needed to say to her?" Dalton asked. "Or do I need to kick your ass for the tears she was crying?"

"I'd kick my own ass first." He said as he swiped at his eyes.

"Well, the Humvees are a pretty good place to find some privacy late at night," Dalton said as he handed him a burner phone with one number entered.

* * *

They were halfway home when Jaz came over and sat down next to him. She wrapped her hands around his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.

"I'm sure the last thing you want to do is talk about this right now, and you don't have to. Just listen."

He looked down at Jaz, she was like the little sister he'd never had, and he loved her for taking care of Hannah.

"She's going to be okay. It's the first time in a long time that she's let herself feel anything, and it was more than she was prepared for. You were more than she was prepared for."

He huffed a laugh; he was pretty sure he was the one who'd been unprepared.

"Thanks for looking after her. I wish I could have, but I was only going to make it harder for her."

"She knows that."

They sat in silence as the rest of the team slept, and for a moment, she thought he'd fallen asleep, too.

"I love her Jaz."

"I know you do. She loves you, too doesn't she..."

"Yeah. She does."

"I knew you'd fall hard when the right girl came along. You've got the biggest heart." She said as she kissed his cheek and made her way back to her seat beside Top.

He watched as she curled into him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sleep finally pulled him under, and Hannah danced through his head until the wheels hit the ground.

"Four weeks."

* * *

If you feel like it, hit the comments. The next time we see these two will be when he rotates out (probably up in a couple days...)

Thanks for reading, supporting, commenting. I appreciate all of it!


	8. When You Say Nothing At All

First, I love the song at the beginning. I think Keith Whitley was the first to record it (not 100% on that) but I love the version listed.

And, it's perfect for these two (I think).

This chapter kicks off with McG arriving back at base after DC, but it covers about a four week span up to the last episode of The Brave.

I thought I'd write a couple more chapters in between, but with the way things ended in the last chapter/episode (The Light Among Shadows and TV) it made sense to catch them up so we weren't in this little happy bubble over here while the shit hits the fan on the other side.

They can be read as stand-alone fic, but what's the fun in that :)

Anyway, Tissues/NSFW...you have been dually warned.

It's a long one and it's going probably make you feel like you need a bottle of wine or some Xanax for at least a little bit. Maybe both.

But, I'm not one to just jerk you around for fun...so, you'll be smiling at the end I hope.

* * *

 _It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart_

Without saying a word, you can light up the dark  
Try as I may I could never explain  
What I hear when you don't say a thing _The smile on your face lets me know that you need me_  
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me  
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall  
You say it best when you say nothing at all _When You Say Nothing At All - Alison Krauss_

When the team made it back to the bunker, McG headed off to his space. There wasn't much privacy for anyone, but he could at least close the door. He needed to just sit and wrap his head around things.

He'd gone to DC thinking he would be there a few days, maybe a week tops, and that the team would get a chance to process, and maybe have a little fun without threats looming.

They pretty much succeeded on most of those counts, minus the no threats part. After all, they did take a little jaunt down to Colombia while they were on that side of the world. Fortunately, Top was feeling charitable and chose not to get himself blown up because that would have put a damper on everything.

But, those weren't the things he was trying to wrap his head around at all.

McG was trying to figure out how he'd managed to live his whole life thinking he didn't need the kind of emotional attachments others needed. Sure he'd had his mom, but he really had no intentions of falling in love, at least not for a long while.

But, it was like his mom always said whenever this topic came up, he could almost hear her saying it, "You never go looking for love, it just finds you."

She hated that he didn't want that for himself, so he had no doubt that she was going to be over the moon when she met Hannah. And he wanted them to meet. Soon.

* * *

McG decided to take a shower before he unpacked his things and got some laundry done. He wished he could still smell her on his skin, but really all he could smell was fuel and sweat. Neither of which reminded him of Hannah.

Once he was showered, he threw on a pair of flannel pants and started to go through his bag.

Right at the top were his dog tags, he'd taken them off in DC, and he didn't remember putting them in the bag. Usually, he would have just put them back on.

When he picked them up, they were a lot heavier than he remembered, and as he laid them in his hand, he knew Hannah must have found them and put them in his bag while he was in the washroom.

There was a key on the chain with a little tag that said, come HOME to me.

He smiled as he put his dog tags back on key and all.

* * *

McG was half asleep when he remembered the phone Dalton had given him. He looked at his watch and calculated the time in DC; it was 1:30 am, so it was 5:30 pm in DC.

He realized that the time difference probably would never be conducive to phone sex unless he was calling her in the middle of the day, which around here was anything but a good time for that. And it was pretty much the same for her.

So, either he was going to have to call her between four and six in the morning his time, or some equally not so fun time on her end. Not that he was opposed to starting his day off with Hannah like that.

For now, he figured he'd just send her a text.

* * *

 _Hey pretty girl, are you heading home soon?_

 _Already home, Patricia took one look at me and told me to take the day off._

* * *

McG dialed her number.

"Hi." He said before she could even answer.

She could hear the smile in his voice, and if she closed her eyes, she could almost still see the way his eyes crinkled at the corners and that smile...mmm.

"Is it crazy that I already miss you?" Hannah asked.

"If it is, we're walking that road together. What did Patricia say?"

"Go home, you look awful."

"So she knows." He said matter of factly.

"What, no. Why do you think that?"

"Because if she didn't know she would have asked you what was wrong, or if there was something she could do. You know she would have."

"Shit."

"Well, considering she knows about Top and Jaz, this isn't nearly as much of a landmine. It's just a baby landmine."

She laughed.

"But, since you're at home...What are you doing?" He asked.

"Snuggling with Pip and Boo."

"Come on; you can just say it...playing with your pussy...cats." He said as he laughed.

"Oh, did you want me to put them down?" She asked.

"Depends, can you think of anything better to do?"

"You tell me, Joseph."

"Then yes, please. I think you should crawl into that bed and play with me." He told her.

"What'd you have in mind?" She asked as he heard her sheets rustle in the background. "Mmmmm, my bed still smells like you."

"That's completely unfair. My bed only smells like clean laundry." He pouted.

"Did you check the side pocket of your bag?" She asked.

"No. Should I?" He asked as he jumped out of his bed.

Hannah listened as she heard him unzip the bag, and then as he inhaled.

Hannah had stuffed one of her pillowcases in his bag.

"Oh shit," McG said as he realized he'd inadvertently taken home his own souvenir. "Hold on."

Hannah could hear him open the door and footsteps, so she knew he took the phone with him.

McG ran out into the main living area just as Top was pulling his clothes from the dryer so that he could put his in when a red lace thong fell to the floor.

"Red really isn't your color McGuire." He said as he flung them in his direction.

"Fuck off Top." He said as he took the thong and headed back to his room.

"If you guys are going to have phone sex, at least go out to the Humvees." Top yelled just to make sure everyone made it their business to find out what was going on tomorrow.

"Sorry, pretty girl, where were we?" He asked.

She was laughing on the other end of the line.

"Sorry, but did Dalton just pull my thong out of your laundry?"

"I may or may not have pocketed it that first night."

"I'm glad that I won't have to face that firing squad tomorrow then." She laughed.

"I don't really want to talk about that right now. But, it would seem an audience is unavoidable tonight, so how about we just talk for a little bit."

"That sounds good; you should probably already be sleeping anyway."

"Still on DC time. We're all going to be a mess tomorrow anyway." He said.

"Tell me about your mom."

He smiled, and she could hear it when he spoke about her, "She's great. She's still in Montana, outside of Bozeman. She's a nurse and a big part of why I'm a medic. She wanted me to be a doctor; I wanted to be in the military...that was the compromise. Though not at all what she'd wanted. Abbie McGuire would have preferred that I'd stayed safely in Montana forever."

"Oh, that's sweet."

"Maybe she'll finally let that go when I tell her that I met a beautiful woman at work and I'm bringing her home to meet her."

"Joseph, are you asking me to meet your mom?" She asked.

"Depends. Are you saying yes?"

"I believe that I am. Yes."

"She's going to love you!"

"I have no doubt that any woman who raised a son with a heart as big as yours is someone that I will love, too."

"God, I miss you. What I wouldn't give to just curl up with you in my arms right now." He said. "You have no idea how much it broke my heart to see you cry."

"I tried not to, but I tried not to fall in love with you also, and we both know I happily failed at that." She told him.

"I love you, too pretty girl," He said around a yawn.

"You should try and sleep, Joseph," Hannah said.

"Mmmm. Can I call you tomorrow?" He asked.

"Anytime." She answered.

* * *

They'd had a few more phone calls, but the team had bounced around for all manner of minor crisis' for the better part of a few weeks, so they always seemed to be short and not very private.

McG had also gotten to see her a few times on video chats when they were on a mission, but it just wasn't the same. He missed being able to hold her in his arms, and he desperately wanted to wipe away the memory of her crying the last time he saw her.

He was counting down the days until the team would be headed back to DC. When they rotated out, they all headed to the DIA to debrief and store their gear. Usually, they were in town for about a week, but he'd planned to stay until she could get time off to come to Montana for a bit.

And he'd been talking to Jaz about maybe meeting up during their downtime. McG and Jaz thought it might be fun to go off someplace beautiful just the four of them. Hopefully Hannah and Top would agree.

In the past, DC had always seemed like a tedious affair, because all he wanted to do was get home, see his mom and spend some time out on the land. A couple of years ago, he'd purchased a small farm.

Nothing huge just enough land that it was private and he could keep a few horses, dogs, whatever.

It had a small house on it, and he'd built a new house for his mom at the other end of the property as well. She was still a nurse, but he'd wanted her to be able to retire whenever she wanted.

She'd been young when she had him, but she'd still managed to finish school and get her nursing degree. McG had wanted for nothing growing up. There was a roof over his head, food on the table, and his mom was always there when he needed her.

She'd sacrifice a lot for him, and he was all too happy to lift some of the burdens she'd carried in her life.

But for the first time, McG wasn't thinking about how fast he could get back to Montana. No, he was thinking about how fast he could get to Hannah Rivera.

Of course, he also knew that when they got into about the three-day range, they were clock watching and hoping they didn't catch a mission because those were almost always the bad ones.

It was just law.

They were never the ones that were in and out. They were the ones that took days, and usually meant little sleep and lots of gunfire.

The last three days sucked.

Always.

* * *

It was a curse. They all knew it.

So, no one should have been surprised when a sixteen-year-old, a submarine and a dead guy ruined all of their plans. It sounded like a punch line to a horrible joke, but none of them had been prepared for the shitstorm that was Alex Hoffman.

And McG was figuratively hit square in the chest in the aftermath. Preach took that hit literally and was in a coma, and while he understood that he had saved his life in the field, it didn't stop him from tearing up every dark recess in his mind with the damned _what if_ scenarios.

It was something they all did.

In their line of work, it was hard not to. Everything they did had the potential to go sideways, and in this case, literally, everything went sideways.

McG wanted to believe that Preach would be okay, but they were nearing day three, and there had still been no change. He was still on a vent, he was still in a coma, and he was very much still in danger of dying.

He knew everyone was worried; he knew that he should get some sleep, eat something, take a shower. He knew he should be doing a lot of things, but he just couldn't bring himself to do any of them. He couldn't leave him, so he just sat in that chair staring at Preach.

Still.

Silent.

It didn't matter that Top had basically ordered him to get some rest. Or that Jaz had begged him to eat with big fat tears in her eyes. There was only one person who would get him to move.

"Where is he?"

Make that two.

He'd heard Hannah's voice, but it had to be his imagination.

When he stood, his legs were shaking. He wasn't sure if it was the lack of food, or if it was because she might be standing just feet away. Either way, he willed himself to walk the few feet to the door.

He could have pulled the curtain, but that wasn't going to bring him any closer to her if she was standing on the other side of that door.

His heart stuttered in his chest when he saw her standing two steps away from him, but it crumbled when he felt her arms wrap around him. He'd been holding it together for days, but one look at her and everything just shattered.

He fell to his knees as she went with him and all he could do was press his face against her neck and cry. He hadn't cried since he was a little boy, but he shook in her arms as every fear and every doubt he'd been holding tumbled out unbidden.

Her voice wrapped around him like a soft blanket as she whispered, "I'm here. I'm right here."

He'd never been so broken, or so happy at the same moment in his entire life. She was here.

"How?" He asked once he'd regained his voice.

It had been barely a whisper, but she'd heard him.

"Amir." She told him as she looked into his eyes for the first time.

He was surprised, but he was so thankful. Amir hadn't been with the team for long, but he'd proven himself to be a very good teammate and an even better friend.

"Joseph, will you let me take you to get some sleep?" She asked.

She could see the hesitation rise instantly, but Dalton and Jaz both stepped in.

"We just got back from the hotel. Your stuff from the bunker is here since we can't stay there. Let us take the next shift. I promise we'll call you if anything changes." Dalton told him as he kneeled beside them and offered him a hand up.

McG just nodded, it was the best he could offer at the moment. As soon as they were both standing, he looked at Hannah almost as if to make sure she was really there. When she smiled at him, he pulled her into his arms and held her close.

"I missed you." He said into her neck.

"Me, too." She said as she pulled free enough to walk him towards the entrance.

On the way out, they'd passed by Preach's wife and kids. She'd kissed him on the cheek and thanked him, but he didn't feel like he'd done enough. And he'd told her as much.

Hannah's heart broke as she watched him fighting so hard to keep it together. He wanted to be strong for everyone else, but he'd stopped taking care of himself to do it.

They passed Patricia as well, and she handed Hannah a room key and laid her hand on McG's cheek. She knew he needed sleep and a hot meal more than he needed to talk at that moment, and she was sure that Hannah was the only one who could help him right then.

There would be plenty of time to talk later, and there would be dozens of people at the DIA who wanted to hear from all of them when they got back.

The last person they encountered was Amir. McG spotted him across the hallway and pulled him into a hug, it was not something either of them normally did, but McG had something to say.

"Thank you."

Amir was surprised. He didn't feel like he'd done anything that any other member of the team wouldn't have done.

"You looked like you needed more than we could give you," Amir told him. "We'll keep an eye on things here. Get some sleep, eat something, we'll call you if anything changes."

McG didn't know what else to say, so he just put his hand on his shoulder and nodded before he let Hannah lead him away.

* * *

The hotel the DIA had set them up in was right across the way connected by a long corridor. So, Hannah just wrapped her arm around his and led him until they got to a bank of elevators.

She didn't think he even paid attention where they were going, he just followed her, trusting her to get them where they needed to be. They rode the elevator in silence to the fourth floor, and Hannah led him to the end of the hall and opened the door.

When they got inside, Hannah saw his bag and hers sitting side by side on the dresser and a note.

* * *

 _Hannah ~  
There's bottled water in the fridge; please make sure he eats a real meal and try to get him to sleep. It's been days since he's done either.  
~P_

* * *

Patricia had met Hannah and Preach's family at the airport and had made sure all of their luggage had been delivered to their rooms. She hadn't really forewarned her about the state she'd find him in because it would have only served to alarm Preach's wife.

Hannah looked at Joseph now as he sat on the edge of the bed and realized that he really hadn't done any of those things. He looked gaunt and exhausted, and all she wanted to do was take care of him.

"Joseph?"

"Mmmm?"

"Why don't you take a hot shower, and I can order some food. That way it'll be here when you're done, and then we can curl up in bed."

He only caught bits and pieces of what she'd said. The important parts he supposed, shower, food, bed. At the moment, only one of those sounded appealing, but he knew he had to shower before he crawled into bed with her. He had no doubt she wouldn't complain, either way, but she was worth getting cleaned up.

Hopefully, by the time he was out, food would seem like a better idea, too.

"Just stay here for a minute." She told him as she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

A moment later, she came out and picked through his bag grabbing a pair of boxer briefs, his shampoo, and toothbrush. Once everything was set, she came back and helped him stand before she carefully lifted his shirt over his head.

"Oh, Joseph." She said as she saw the bruises up his side and around his back.

She'd forgotten that he'd been forced to take a beating to help draw Victor out.

As that realization dawned, Hannah really looked at his face. He had some bruising, but it didn't look as bad as the rest of him. He leaned into her as she stroked her fingers gently across the bruises before he swept his mouth over hers.

The kiss was soft and hungry, but brief. He'd missed her, and he'd needed her more than even he had known.

* * *

McG knew he'd been burning up the energy reserves for the last few days and that became even more evident once he stepped out of the shower. He felt better, but the need for sleep was quickly starting to take over.

"You okay in there?" Hannah asked as she pushed the door open.

She found him sitting on the lid of the toilet with his head resting in his hands. He was showered, but he was struggling to keep pushing forward.

Hannah put her hands under his arms and helped him to stand as she led him to the bed. Once he was situated, she handed him a chicken sandwich and hoped she could get him to eat at least half of it.

He ate about a third of it, but she knew that would have to suffice for the time being. He needed sleep, and she knew it was only a matter of time before he'd want to go back to Preach's side.

"Okay, come on. Let's get you some sleep." She said as she crawled in beside him.

Hannah had pulled the curtains when he was in the shower, so the room was shrouded in darkness once she'd shut out the light. Hopefully, he'd sleep four or five hours. More if she had any say, but she kept the phone nearby in case anyone called.

Hannah could feel Joseph staring at her even in the darkness, "What's going on in that head of yours?" She asked.

"I just can't believe you're here." He said as he laid his head against her chest and wrapped his arms around her.

He fell asleep listening to the sound of her heart beating less than a minute later.

* * *

He'd been asleep for almost seven hours, and he never relinquished his hold on Hannah. Even when they shifted or moved, he would always seek out her warmth. At about ten that evening, she got up and used the washroom and then called Dalton to get an update.

He'd told her there was no change, and that she should try and get him to sleep the rest of the night if she could and come back over in the morning. Dalton had finally admitted the Joseph hadn't slept more than an accidental nodding off sitting in the chair beside preach since he'd been brought in.

Amir had just returned with Patricia. So, Dalton and Jaz were headed to get some sleep as well.

Jaz had suggested they meet for breakfast at seven or so. Hannah didn't make any promises, but she was going to try and keep him in bed for as long as possible. It was clear that he'd needed the sleep.

It was half-past ten when she got off the phone, and she walked back out into the room. Joseph had just woken up, and she could feel the panic rolling off of him.

"Shhh. Shhh. Everything is okay. I just talked to Dalton, and there has been no change. Amir and Patricia are with Preach now." She told him as she crawled back in bed with him.

"I thought I'd dreamt it. You being here. Then I woke up here and nothing was familiar." He said as he pulled her into his arms.

He was literally clinging to her like she would disappear if he didn't hold her tight enough and it broke her heart.

"I'm not going anywhere." She whispered as she brushed her fingers against his forehead.

He slipped his arms under her t-shirt trying to steal her warmth, but after a minute of trying to get comfortable all tangled in her, he just pulled it off and flipped it across the room. She smiled as he pulled her flush against him and sighed as he fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Neither one of them woke up again until about four in the morning. Joseph was thrashing in his sleep and calling out to Dalton. She knew he was trapped in that moment when he'd pulled Preach out of the bunker.

"Joseph, Joseph. It's okay." She whispered as she rubbed her thumbs over his cheekbones.

When his eyes opened, he was sucking in air like he hadn't taken a breath in three minutes.

"It's okay. Breathe. Just breathe." She told him as she placed his hand on her chest and took slow, measured breaths until he started to follow suit.

Once he settled, reality crept in.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" He asked with tears barely clinging to his lashes.

"He's one of the toughest men I know, and he had the best medic I know by his side. He will wake up." She told him.

"How can you be so sure?" He asked.

"I'm not sure, but I know that he has a lot of people here that love him and need him. He's going to wake up." Hannah said as she leaned in and pressed her lips to his jaw.

For a moment, he just absorbed the sensation, but then it was like a switch flipped and his mouth crashed over hers.

He felt so much pain, and all he wanted to do was feel anything else. Hannah wanted nothing more than to give him what he needed.

"Please Hannah. Please just make this ache in my chest go away. I need you." He whispered as he leaned over her and sucked her lower lip between his.

"Tell me what you need."

"Anything. Everything, just make this hurt go away." He told her as he settled his hips against hers.

Hannah pulled him back in and kissed him as she tried to siphon some of his pain away.

He rocked his hips against hers as he deepened the kiss anchoring his fingers in her hair.

"I thought I'd imagined your voice until I saw you standing right in front of me." He told her as he caught his breath. "I felt awful, because at that moment I was so happy to see you, and Preach is in such a bad place right now."

"Oh baby, he wouldn't want you to be so torn up that you stop taking care of yourself. And there's not a person on this earth besides me, and your mom that wants to see you happy more than Preach."

Joseph closed his eyes as he felt her beneath him, really felt her. For the first time in over a month, he was right where he wanted to be, where he needed to be.

He finally let his hands drift over her heated skin as he breathed her into his lungs and let her wash over him.

"You're so beautiful." He hummed as he pressed a kiss to her throat and let his teeth barely scrape over her skin.

She arched into him as she let go of a sigh that told him she was right there with him.

"I want to make love to you so bad." He whispered as he slipped his fingers into her panties.

"Then do it." She told him as she slid her fingers under the band of his boxers and scraped her fingernails over his ass.

In an instant, he was fumbling to rid himself of the boxers even as he slid his fingers into her. He closed his eyes and pulled oxygen into his lungs that carried the unmistakable scent of her with it.

"Fuck, I need you." He growled as he sat up and pulled her panties down over her thighs.

"I'm yours. Whatever you need, I need. Whatever you want, I want. Just come to me." She said as she pulled him down to her.

The words were like a salve against the deep fissures in his heart that had been laid open by the events of the last few days. She was the cure; Hannah was everything he never knew he needed. And God did he want everything she was offering him right then.

Hannah watched him as he breathed her in, she could see him holding back, and she wanted him to just let go.

"I'm right here, and I need you too. Please." She hummed as she rubbed her fingers into his beard and pulled him in for a kiss.

This time there was no hesitation. His lips crashed over hers like a wave at high tide consuming everything. He kept a hand tangled in her hair as the other slid over the curves of her body, reading them as he went.

He could feel the goosebumps rise over her heated oversensitized skin. She was vibrating with need, and he could feel how wet she was, it was almost more than he could handle. Almost.

"Please." She begged as his hand slipped between them. "Please Joseph."

As his name fell from her lips, a gasp followed as he slid home in one slow deep stroke.

"Oh, fuck." He said as he felt chills roll over his skin and his eyes roll back. "You feel like hot silk against my skin. Fuck...so good."

"Mmmhmm, please Joseph. Please move." She cried.

He did, slowly, deliberately. He never wanted this feeling to end.

Hannah could feel the flush rising over her skin like the sun cresting over the ocean at daybreak. Every move he made was inching her ever closer to that sweet spot where the sun's warmth kisses your skin and the waves just barely break over your toes.

Only she felt like there was a tidal wave just offshore.

"Gah, I can feel everything." She hummed as she tilted her hips towards him allowing him to slip even deeper.

"Hannah. Uh-mmm." He growled as he let his teeth drag over the scar on her neck.

She gasped and pressed into his chest seeking more, "Please. I need more. Touch me."

Joseph could feel that little flutter start as he pressed his thumb to her clit, and she cried out when he put just enough pressure on her pelvis to cause her thighs to shake.

He loved that feeling; she was hanging right on the edge just waiting for him to push her off.

But he wasn't ready yet. He wanted to enjoy this feeling just a little while longer.

"Hold on for me pretty girl. I'm not ready for this to end yet."

"Mmmm, I don't know if I can." She mumbled as he stroked her a little harder with his thumb.

"Fuck...You can. I know you can." He told her as he let his hips slam forward once before he eased back.

"Uhh-Uh. I-I can't." She whined as he lifted her hips and let her balance against his knees forcing his cock to get up close and personal with his favorite little hot button.

"What about now?" He asked as he gave her two hard strokes.

"Fuck, Joseph. I have to..." She cried.

He pressed his thumb back to her clit and gave her what he knew she needed, a relentless, hard rhythm.

"Oh, gah, Joseph! Fuck. So...Oh fuck me." She screamed.

"Baby, if I fuck you any harder, it's gonna leave a mark." He laughed.

"I-I don't c-care."

"Uhhh, fuuuuck." He growled as he felt her clamp down like a vice right before he was bathed in her warmth. "Oh god, nothing feels better than when you cum on my cock."

Joseph leaned into her as she continued to flutter violently around him fisting the pillow as he slammed his hips into hers. He could hear the slap of their flesh as he drove into her until finally, he couldn't hold out a second longer.

"Fuck. Oh fuuuck," he shouted as he spilled inside of her.

He leaned onto his elbows as he continued to shudder through the most intense orgasm he'd had in his entire life. For a minute, he thought he could die then and there and be totally fine with it. For a minute.

As he moved to pull out of her, he was gripped by aftershocks that stole his breath.

"Holy shit." He mumbled as he pressed his forehead to hers and tried to get himself together.

Everything was so sensitive; he felt like there was an electrical current running just below the surface, and she was the perfect conductor. Hannah could light up the darkest recesses of his mind.

"Don't. Not yet. Stay." She hummed as she soothingly dragged her fingers over his shoulders.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on her voice as he worked to get his breathing under control so that he could at least turn to his back and take some of the weight off of her.

Once he'd managed to move, he pulled the blankets back around her shoulders and sighed as she kissed him and scratched her fingers through his sweat-soaked beard. He loved when she did that, it made his skin prickle and gave him the chills every time.

At that moment, he was perfectly content to stay exactly like that.

"That was..." Hannah started.

"There are no words." He finished with a laugh.

"Mmmm. I've missed this."

"The mind-blowing sex?" He asked jokingly.

"Well, yes, but more after..." She told him.

"Me, too. I love when you go all soft and warm."

"No choice, I'm not sure I could walk right now if I wanted to. I feel boneless." She whispered as she kissed his jaw.

He laughed as he rocked his hips into her, "Mmmm, not completely boneless."

Hannah laughed so hard she actually snorted, but he thought it was kind of adorable. Or at least it was until she sat up and rocked her hips over him.

"Damn baby girl, this is going to be quick." He growled as he arched his back and drove in deep as he pulled her down onto him.

She shuddered over him as her eyes rolled back a little and he went from halfway there to steel pipe in the span of a few seconds. He could feel her hair brushing against his thighs as she leaned back with her hands anchored above his knees.

His skin heated as she gasped when she found the angle that did all kinds of good things for both of them.

"Oh yeah, baby girl." He growled as he felt her tell.

She was close already. He intended to help her along, so he pressed his fingers against her and swept them over her in tight circles as she set the pace, and he met her thrust for thrust.

"Mmmm. Cum with me." Hannah hummed dreamily.

"I'll be right behind you." He mumbled as he was captivated by the display in front of him.

"Cum." She demanded with a sweet smile as she slid her hand up the inside of his thigh until her fingers met that little spot that made him see stars.

"Oh, fuck. FUCK!" He shouted as he slammed his hips home hard and finished her off.

"Hannah, you play dirty." He told her when he could finally take a full breath.

"Mmmm. You didn't seem to mind." She told him as she curled into him and pressed a kiss to his still hammering pulse point just below his ear.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until he felt Hannah shiver, then he carefully extricated himself from her to get some water and a damp towel.

He set the water on the nightstand as he took care of her, then he walked back into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face before cleaning himself up as best he could without showering.

That would have to wait until morning because right then, all he wanted was to pull Hannah into his arms and sleep.

"My mom is going to take one look at me with you and start planning for grandbabies." He laughed as he pulled the covers up and snuggled into her.

"What about you? Do you see yourself having kids?" She asked.

"Mmmm. Someday, in the not too distant future. So long as they're ours."

She pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand as she smiled at that thought.

"You?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you want kids?" He asked her as he ran his hand over her hip and settled it over her flat belly wondering what she would look like with a little baby bump.

He found the idea very appealing when he pictured it.

"I'd given up on the idea, to be honest. Everything changed because of that night, but we might not even be here if it hadn't happened. And now, all the things I had given up on are right here. Love, happiness, the chance to have a family." Hannah shared.

"Baby girl, I would do anything to erase all the pain you felt. Anything but give you up, I'm sorry that it happened, but I'll never be sorry for it putting you on the path that led to me."

Hannah knew he would have, too. He was the kind of guy that would do anything to ease others pain, but he rarely acknowledged his own.

"I've spent enough time feeling sorry; now I know that something good can come from something so awful. I'm just so glad I didn't freak out and run from you before we ever figured that out."

"Were you thinking about running?" He asked as he smiled at her.

"Oh, yeah. I spent most of the night talking myself in and out of just letting you see the scars, that didn't even include what happened after you saw them."

"Pretty girl, did you really think I would see them and turn you away?"

"Honestly?" She asked.

He rubbed his finger under her chin forcing her to look at him as he nodded.

"I was more afraid of what might happen if you didn't turn me away," Hannah told him.

"Hannah, I don't think I could've let you walk away, and I know I never would have asked you to leave. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I felt like there was this invisible coil that tethered us together. It sounds stupid, but apart from being really attracted to you, I wanted. No, I needed to know you." He told her as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

"You were this stunningly beautiful woman who should have had all the confidence in the world. But, I saw the broken parts you were trying to hide, and I just had to know what put the sadness in those pretty eyes. More than that, I wanted to chase it away." Joseph told her as his lips brushed over hers with every word.

"I felt it too. For months, I'd been trying to talk myself into getting things back on track. Dating. But, I never could take that step. I wanted no part of it really. Then in walks Joseph McGuire with these pretty puppy dog eyes, and that heart-stopping smile and easy bravado." She said as she smiled at him.

"But, those weren't even the big guns, because when I thought I'd never be able to go through with it, you showed me that big, soft heart and I don't think I ever recovered." She told him as she laid her hand over his heart.

"I knew that I wasn't wrong about you when you spent the whole night waiting for my permission even though my body was screaming yes, you waited for the words. I knew then that you would never take advantage of me or try to hurt me. If I had said no, I know that you would have put your clothes back on no questions asked and walked me to my car to make sure I got there safely. I knew then that I could trust you. Completely."

Hannah let out a big yawn as she snuggled deeper into his arms and the sun was just starting to think about rising through the tiny gap in the curtains.

"I'm going to set the alarm for 6:15 is that too soon?" He asked as he reached out for his phone.

"Mmmm. No, it just means we'll have to share a shower and be quick about it. I told Dalton we'd meet them for Breakfast around 7."

"Mmmm. I'll set it for six. I'd hate to rush you."

* * *

About twenty minutes later, his phone rang, and he grumbled as it seemed way too soon. It wasn't the alarm; it was Amir.

"Preach is awake."

Hannah had the shower running before he'd even hung up the phone and the pair of them were out the door less than ten minutes later.

Just as their door closed, the one next to them opened, and Dalton strolled out rubbing his eyes and glaring at McG. "Feel better?"

"Yeah. Actually, I do." He said as he wrapped his arm around Hannah and kissed her on the forehead.

He did feel better, even though he knew he still had shadows under his eyes from exhaustion. He'd slept quite a bit, but one night wasn't going to even put a dent in that kind of sleep deprivation.

"That's wonderful because I think half the hotel is aware of just how great you were feeling a couple of hours ago," Dalton said as he smacked him in the stomach and held the door open for Jaz.

"Don't let him make you feel bad. He certainly wasn't complaining; you just couldn't hear him over the noise in there." Jaz said as she smirked and dragged Dalton towards the elevator.

McG laughed as he put his arm around Hannah and followed.

He was feeling a whole lot lighter, and he knew a big part of that was that Preach was awake, but Hannah had made sure he was taken care of when he refused to take care of himself.

In fact, she'd flown all the way from DC just to take care of him.

And yes, he'd gotten a little physical comfort from her as well, okay, a lot, but just being there was more than he ever could have asked for.

He was definitely taking her home to meet his mom, but he didn't intend to introduce her as his girlfriend.

* * *

After the last episode of the Brave, I felt like we all needed a little happy...Of course, I was never going to kill Preach!


	9. Who You Love

If you were looking for a super sweet chapter with these two, here you go.

Joseph is finally in DC, and there's only one place he wants to be...

NSFW and get ready to meet Abbie McGuire :)

* * *

 _My girl, she ain't the one that I saw coming_

 _And sometimes I don't know which way to go_  
 _And I tried to run before_  
 _But I'm not running anymore_  
 _Cause I've fought against it hard enough to know_

 _That you love, who you love_  
 _Who you love_

 _Who You Love - John Mayer & Katy Perry_

* * *

McGuire left the team at the airstrip as he hopped into a waiting cab and pulled his dog tags from his shirt with a smile.

As they pulled away from the team, he pulled his phone from his jacket and dialed a number he'd dialed hundreds of times. She answered on the first ring as she almost always did.

"Hi! How's my baby boy?"

"I'm good mom. How are you doing?"

"I'll be fantastic if you're calling to tell me you're coming home soon." She said enthusiastically.

Abbie McGuire was a force of nature. He couldn't think of a single time he'd seen her unhappy, with one exception. The day he'd told her he was going to be an Army Medic.

She'd been devasted. He'd hated seeing that look on her face almost as much as he'd hated seeing Hannah cry. Almost.

"I am coming home. Maybe in about a week, two tops. But, I wanted you to know that I'm on US soil, so you can stop worrying." He laughed.

"Oh good. When did you get in?"

"Just leaving the airstrip now, I didn't want you to worry one second longer than you had to." He told her.

"I do appreciate that. Why do you have to stay in DC so long? Usually, it's a few days." She complained.

"Well, mom that's why I'm calling. My girlfriend..."

He laughed and held the phone away from his ear as he waited for his mom to finish shrieking on the other end of the line.

"My girlfriend, Hannah lives in DC. And I was planning on bringing her home to meet you." He finished.

"Oh Joseph, tell me all about her? Is she pretty? Of course, she's pretty! Do you love her? More importantly, how does she feel about you? Is she good to you? Does she want to have babies?"

"Mom. Mom. Slow down. Take a breath." He laughed.

"I know, it's just that you've spent so long trying not to get tied down that I was starting to think you really wanted that. And now there's Hannah. Such a pretty name. How did you meet her?"

"Mom."

"Sorry. Go ahead." She said, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

"I love her. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and she has the kindest heart. And yes, she loves me, too. I met her at work."

"Oh no, she's in the field? Now I'll be twice as worried."

McG sighed as his mom stayed three steps ahead of him as usual, "No, she's not in the field. She works in DC; she's an analyst at the DIA."

He didn't bother to tell her she'd been in the field before and that there was a chance she may decide to get back in the field down the road. That was a problem for another day, and it was Hannah's story to tell.

If she chose to tell it.

"Oh, thank god."

"Anyway, I'll let you know about our travel plans as soon as I have something firmed up. Oh and mom, this is the only girl I plan to bring home to meet you."

He held the phone away for the inevitable scream his mom unleashed into the world.

"I love you baby boy, and I'm sure that I'm going to love Hannah, too. Any woman that can capture your heart already has mine." She told him.

"I love you, too mom. I'll call you in a couple days." He said as he hung up and smiled out the window while he watched the street lights roll by.

* * *

Her front porch light was on when he pulled up. He'd called her the day before to let her know they were heading back to DC, but he didn't know when they'd arrive, and he'd been looking forward to surprising her.

Hannah told him to use the key she'd given him if it was late.

So, Joseph paid the cabbie and hoisted his bag over his shoulder as he walked up her front steps and unlocked the door.

He set his bag down as the kittens came trotting over looking for some attention. They'd grown, and they were almost certainly going to wake her up if he didn't distract them.

So, he put a little food in their bowls, just enough for him to get up the stairs.

He kicked his shoes off by the door and made sure it was locked up before he quietly made his way up the stairs with his bag. He smiled as he set his bag down in her bathroom and quietly stripped down to his boxers and brushed his teeth.

Hannah was curled up on the far side of the bed with her phone in her hand, and as he eased the covers back, he realized she didn't have a stitch of clothing on, so he leveled the field and dropped his boxers to the floor.

He gently eased the phone from Hannah's fingers as he climbed into the bed behind her and settled her into his arms with her head rested on his shoulder. As much as he wanted to wake her up, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Joseph sighed with contentment as she stretched against him and slipped her arm across his chest. He knew he'd never get enough of her soft and warm as she slept curled against him.

* * *

When he woke up the next morning, Hannah was propped up on her elbow sipping tea, still gloriously naked while watching him sleep.

"Morning pretty girl," Joseph said as he smiled at her.

"Why didn't you wake me?" Hannah pouted.

"Mmmm. I wanted to, but you looked so peaceful, and I just wanted to hold you." He told her.

"It was a nice way to wake up all warm and cuddled in your arms." She beamed.

McG took a sip of her tea before he set it on the nightstand as he leaned into her and pressed his lips to hers breathing in the warm vanilla scent that was all Hannah.

"You smell so good." He hummed as he let his lips slip over her pulse point where the scent was the most concentrated.

"I like waking up with you," Hannah whispered as she rubbed her fingers over his beard.

Joseph closed his eyes and leaned into her touch; it felt so good to have her hands on him.

"Come here." He said as he rolled onto his back and dragged her, so she was sitting atop his legs. "I want to feel your hands on me."

"Mmmm. I thought you'd never ask." Hannah said as she let her fingers barely glance over his collarbones.

She loved hearing him suck in a sharp breath as goosebumps rose on his skin.

He closed his eyes as she let her fingers glide over the muscles of his shoulders.

"I love how strong you are," She said as she followed the cords of lean muscle from his neck to the tops of his shoulders.

Joseph softly ran his fingers over the tops of her thighs as she continued to explore his skin.

He gasped as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his breastbone while her fingers kneaded into his chest.

"I love the way your abs ripple, especially when you make love to me. And these, you have no idea how incredibly sexy they are." She hummed as she let her fingers rub into the deep v that cut into his hips.

Joseph could feel his breathing stutter in his chest as her lips pressed just below his belly button and her fingernails scraped against the trail of hair that led right to...

"Mmmm." Hannah hummed.

Joseph felt the warmth of her breath and the cool silk of her hair as she moved even lower.

He was shaking by the time he felt her lips press against the top of his thigh just before she touched her cheek to his hipbone and blew out a puff of warm air that wrapped around his cock which was begging for her to lay just one finger against it.

"Touch me, Hannah." He whispered as she turned her eyes up to his when he swept her hair away from her face. "Please."

He groaned as he watched her tongue peek out from behind those pretty lips as she stared up at him.

"Show me how you want me to touch you." She said as she bit her lower lip and ran the pad of her finger over the crown of his cock.

"Give me your hand." He told her.

Hannah did, and he wrapped it tightly around the base of his cock as she watched his hand cover hers.

"Mmmm. Yeah, like this." Joseph said as he helped her set a slow easy rhythm.

She watched as his chest rose and fell and his stomach rippled every time he'd shudder in pleasure. She loved the feeling it gave her as she watched him.

"Can I touch you?" He asked as his hand moved further up her thigh until his fingertips feathered over her hipbone.

Hannah just smiled down at him as she scooted forward just the tiniest bit so he could reach her.

"Baby girl, I need to feel you." He told her as he pressed his fingers to the juncture of her thighs, "Stretch up for a second."

She did as he asked and moaned as Joseph eased his fingers inside of her.

He couldn't help staring at her as a flush started to rise on her skin. Hannah's eyelids were heavy, and her teeth bit into her lower lip as she threw her head back on a moan.

She looked gorgeous.

"Come to me." Joseph hummed as he pulled her forward using just those two fingers he held inside of her until he could feel her warmth against his cock. "Yeah, right there."

Joseph gently rubbed his fingers over her until he could feel her dripping over his cock.

"Oh yeah, pretty girl. I can feel how wet you are. Do you want me?" He asked as he rubbed a little harder.

"Mmmm, yes. Joseph. I want to feel you inside of me." Hannah said as she slid a little closer.

Joseph eased her forward until he could press his cock up into her warmth.

"Oh, ah, shit that feels..." She hummed as he slipped inside with his fingers still pressing against that soft spot inside of her.

"Move pretty girl. Nice and easy." Joseph said as he pressed his thumb to her clit while he kept steady pressure on her g-spot with his fingers.

"Ohhh, ohhhh, it's too much." She whimpered as she rose up and slid back down on his cock.

"Mmmm. Feels really good to me. Tight, wet, and so fucking hot." Joseph said as he gave her a little more pressure with his fingertips and rocked her a little harder with his hips.

Hannah hummed in approval as she reached up and ran her fingers over her nipple.

"Oh yeah, that's it, pretty girl. Mmmm." He growled as he started to drive up into her harder.

"Feels so, so good," Hannah said as she arched her back and shuddered as she inched closer to her release.

"I want to feel you come, beautiful. Tell me what you need." Joseph said as he slipped a third finger inside.

Joseph was fighting against his own pleasure at this point, Hannah felt so tight like this that he knew as soon as he felt that little flutter he was going to lose his mind. They'd been hovering on the edge for way too long.

But, it was going to be so good.

"Fuck, push harder." She hummed as she pressed her hand hard against her lower belly.

He could feel the pressure against his fingers, and she was starting to cry out every time he pressed his hips into hers. They could both hear how wet she was and Joseph could feel it like molten silk wrapped so tight around his cock.

"Mmmm. Fuck, you feel so fucking perfect." He told her as he felt that little flutter when he rocked his hips up a little faster.

"Yeah, mmm, just a little harder..." Hannah moaned as he complied. "Oh fuck, yes."

Joseph pressed his thumb in tight circles against her clit until he heard her hum his name as she clamped around him seconds before he felt her cum as it pooled low on his belly.

"Fuck yeah, Hannah. Gah, it feels so good when you come." He growled as he felt himself spill against her fluttering walls coating his fingers as they eased her through her orgasm.

They were both breathless as their bodies hummed with that warm blissed out buzz. Joseph didn't think he'd ever get tired of that feeling.

"Come here baby girl," He whispered as he eased himself out of her warmth so he could pull her into his arms and kiss her.

"I love you so much, Hannah." He whispered as he pressed kisses to her collarbone, her neck, her chin and finally her lips.

"Mmmm, I love you too Joseph McGuire." She said as she smiled against his lips.

"My mom is excited to meet you." He said as he smiled against her neck.

"She is? You told her about me?" Hannah asked as she looked into his eyes.

"I did. Last night."

Hannah smiled as she felt him vibrate with laughter before he said, "I think she might be more excited to see you than she is to see me."

"I doubt that," Hannah said.

"You shouldn't. I told her you were the only girl I would ever bring home to meet her."

"What? Really?" She asked.

"You're the only woman I've ever loved. So yes, you're the only one I'm bringing home to meet hurricane, Abbie." He said as he brushed her hair back and gave her one of those stunning smiles that made her heart stutter in her chest.

Hannah could tell how much he adored his mother by the way he smiled and the tone of his voice when he talked about her.

"Joseph." She whispered.

"Hannah, I didn't know what I was missing until I met you. I don't think I really started living until you wrapped yourself around my heart, and I wasted so much time looking for something temporary, but I knew from the first time I kissed you that you were permanent. You might as well sign your name right here." Joseph said as he pointed to his heart.

"Mmmm. I just might." She smiled as she kissed him.

Hannah fell back to sleep a short time later, and he got up to find his phone. He needed a favor, and he knew just who to ask.

 _I need your help, can you meet me at 2?_

* * *

Well, what did you think? Are you ready for more Mama McGuire? Who do you think he called? I'll share next chapter (maybe Sunday night).


	10. Happy Man

Get ready for a lot of the team, one serious discussion, a shopping trip, and a double dose of Mama McG Enjoy.

* * *

 _And I know that I can't ever tell you enough_  
 _That all I need in this life is your crazy love_

 _If I never get to see the Northern lights_  
 _Or if I never get to see the Eiffel Tower at night_  
 _Oh, if all I got is your hand in my hand_  
 _Baby, I could die a happy man_

 _Die A Happy Man - Thomas Rhett_

* * *

 _I need your help, can you meet me at 2?_

 _You're gonna put a ring on it aren't you?_

 _Jazzy, why are you answering Top's texts?_

 _Top says YES!_

 _Sometimes, you're a pain in my ass_

 _Only sometimes? I'll have to try harder_

 _I'll forgive you if you hang out with Hannah_

 _Done_

* * *

"Mmmmm." Hannah hummed as she stretched into Joseph when she started to wake up.

"How long have I been asleep?" She mumbled.

"Not long. Maybe a half an hour, forty minutes." He said as he swept her hair away from her face.

"Top needs me to help him with something for Preach this afternoon, but Jaz was hoping maybe you two could grab a late lunch."

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind catching up with Jaz. We haven't gotten to talk much since everyone was in DC last. Apart from ops."

"Want to head over there around one then?"

"Sure, is there anything we can do for Preach's family? Maybe Jaz and I could take the girls to a movie or something?" Hannah said as she headed towards the shower.

"I'll ask, I bet Arlene would appreciate that. I know it can't be easy to be looking after three girls and a husband who is recovering from a collapsed lung and major surgery."

"Well, Jaz and I could grab lunch and then pick up the girls. But, that'll mean you boys will be on your own for dinner. Do you think you'll be able to handle a night without us?" Hannah asked with a smile.

Joseph just grabbed his heart dramatically and fell to the floor.

"You're adorable." She said as she turned on the shower.

When he walked in a few minutes later, he drew a heart in the mirror and headed downstairs to make some coffee and feed the two little yowling furballs at the bottom of the stairs.

Once they were fed, Joseph took their coffee and headed back upstairs as his phone rang.

"Hi, mom." He said as he walked into the bathroom where Hannah was in the shower. "Hold on one sec."

"Hey baby girl, there's coffee on the counter for you." He said as he set hers down while he watched the water cascade over her skin.

"Baby girl? That's so sweet." His mom said.

"Thank you, Joseph." Hannah hummed before she realized he was on the phone. "You could bring that magic..." She started as she opened the door.

Hannah put her hand over her mouth not knowing who was listening.

McG just laughed.

"Whoops, did I call at a bad time?" His mom asked with an obvious smile behind her words.

"It's okay mom; we're just getting ready to go meet Top and Jaz."

"You tell Adam that he better come out here this time. And Jaz, too."

"I'll tell them; I know Jaz wants to travel a bit while they're on leave so they might just make it out there this time."

"Wait, they? Did that boy finally figure out Jazzy's the moon to his stars?"

Abbie McGuire didn't miss much.

"Since when did you become such a romantic." He said as he smiled and handed Hannah her coffee as she shut off the shower before he leaned in and surprised her with a kiss.

"Just because I didn't have that great love doesn't mean I don't want that for my boys. And how about Amir, when do I get to meet him?" She asked. "I think you should have the whole team come out. Lord knows we have room."

"Umm. Yeah. I-What was that?" He asked as he realized he'd jumped off a moving train and got lost kissing Hannah.

"Mmmhmm. I knew one day you'd stop running long enough for someone to catch you." His mom said. "But, I was saying you should get the whole team out here, it's not like we don't have the space."

Joseph knew that was probably not the best idea, at least until Preach was doing better. His mom knew that he was part of an elite team, but for his sanity and hers, she thought he spent most of his time stationed in Turkey and that he was only a medic on said team.

Obviously, a lot of what they did was off limits since it was classified, so it was just easier to let her think that. And it kept her from calling fifty-two times a day.

"I'm going to call Jaz. She's a much better co-conspirator than you are." She said. "But, I love you anyway."

"Yeah, I love you, too. Just remember not to ask questions you really don't want to know the answer to mom, because Jazzy will tell you EVERYTHING. Literally."

He heard his mom laugh as she hung up the phone, but he couldn't help feeling like he was about to be taken down by a loose-lipped ninja and hurricane Abbie.

* * *

Hannah called Jaz on the way to the hotel, and they put together a plan to take Preach's girls to the mall for dinner and a movie.

It was a really nice thing for them to do, and McG couldn't help loving both of those girls for understanding how much of a help it was for everyone.

Certainly, the girls would be thrilled to spend the night doing something normal and Preach, and his wife, Arlene would undoubtedly enjoy some time alone to figure out what the next steps were once he'd been cleared to leave the hospital.

At this point, they weren't certain what the recovery time would be, or if Preach would ever be cleared for active duty again, but that seemed pretty unimportant when he'd been fighting for his life just days ago. For now, they were focused on getting Preach home, the rest they would take as it came.

If he couldn't return to the team, he would never stop being a part of their family. Maybe he'd just be on the other end of their comms when he came back.

* * *

When they got to the hotel, McG kissed Hannah as she helped her out of the car so she could switch to the driver's side. Then he sprinted up the steps where he saw Jaz and Top talking.

"Be warned, Abbie is on the hunt for information. She's probably going to call you today. Just try to keep her from giving Hannah the inquisition about babies and shit." McG told her.

"Okay, but I make no promises about sending this adorable pic I just snapped of you and Hannah." She said as she flashed her screen towards him and flipped through a picture of them dancing the other night, and the picture she just snapped of him kissing Hannah as he pressed her up against the car.

"Oh come on Jaz, that's like giving her catnip." He said as he rolled his eyes.

"Too bad. Sent."

"You were adopted, little sister," McG joked before he stuck his tongue out at Jaz who was already bounding down the steps toward Hannah.

* * *

Dalton laughed, McGuire was so in over his head with Jaz and Abbie McGuire. He'd be lucky if Hannah wasn't on a first name basis with mama McG within the next twenty minutes.

"So, let's do this," Dalton said as he put a hand on McG's shoulder.

"Look, Top, I know this must seem crazy to you. Maybe to everyone, but I realized something as I was talking to my mom about Hannah," McG said as they headed down toward the street.

"What's that?"

"I've spent so much time running from relationships, or emotional entanglements with anyone that wasn't a part of my family, which amounts to basically, you guys, and my mom. And I convinced myself that it was because I didn't want that."

"But you do, I know you do." Top told him as he pointed to a bench off in the distance.

This conversation was no longer the casual discussion either of them had intended.

"Of course I do. I look at Hannah, and for the first time, I see a future. I look at the smooth skin of her belly, and all I can think of is what she'll look like with my child. I hear a little girl laughing with Hannah's smile, and little boys chasing dogs out on the land in Montana. It's a future that I never let myself even fantasize about, but I can't imagine a future without her now."

'Yeah, I know. I stuffed that particular dream so far away that I thought it was out of reach, but then Jaz was taken, and I read her letter. It's funny how fast perspectives can change."

"How's this for perspective, you and Jaz both avoided hookups because you didn't want to lie. I avoided relationships because I thought I had to lie. Different means, same end."

Dalton was starting to see where McGuire was going with this epiphany of sorts.

All this time McG thought he was wired differently than they were because he could have a casual hook up, but the reality was he had been looking for the same thing. Someone that he could share his life with, his real life, not just some facade he put up.

"I get it," Top said. "You pretty much convinced yourself you couldn't have what you wanted so instead you settled for the only thing you thought you could have."

"Yeah," McG Said, "Then one day, this stunning woman walked into my life holding the key to everything, and I came so close to sabotaging it simply because I'd been so set in the idea that I couldn't have more than hollow experiences or one night stands. Hannah almost walked away that first night because she thought I was running game on her."

"All because I couldn't see it."

"So, what changed?" Dalton asked.

He was curious how everything suddenly became so clear. It was obvious that McGuire's priorities had changed, but the reason was still hazy.

"She took a chance on me anyway. Hannah is braver than I will ever be because I had all the power to use her truth and shatter her with a few poorly chosen words, but she handed it to me and believed I would wield it with care."

"That's when I realized I hadn't earned her trust, it was just...blind faith, and I knew that the only way I would ever have a chance at a fulfilling relationship with anyone was if I followed her lead. So, I put my faith in her."

"Hannah shared something that was so deeply personal, and it was the bravest thing I'd ever witnessed even in all my years of service. And I realized that what I'd been doing wasn't a choice I was making, it was about never giving someone else the power to hurt me. That's not living."

"I wanted to prove to Hannah that there were good men out there that wouldn't hurt her, with their words or their actions; that there were men who could love her for who she is, and not who she used to be before. I wasn't sure I could be that man forever, but I thought I could be the man that showed her it was possible. Only the more she opened herself up to me, the more I wanted to be the balm that soothed her pain. I wanted to hold her up and let her break if that's what she needed."

Dalton sighed as he thought about what he'd been thinking that day he'd first introduced them. He'd seen the interest in McGuire, but he had been more nervous about the fact that Hannah had returned that interest.

"I was worried that day when I introduced you. I saw the mutual interest there, and whether you know it or not, you have a certain intensity. And that's fine when the woman is on the same page, but most women aren't holding onto the secrets that Hannah was. I almost told you, but it wasn't my story to tell." Top said.

"If you'd told me, she would have been hurt by both of us, because I'm positive I wouldn't have been able to hide that from her. Both of us would have broken her trust if you had. So, I'm glad you didn't." McG told him.

"In a lot of ways, I think we forged this bond that night. Hannah had given me all the power to do even more damage than Urzua had done. She was out on a tightrope, and I could either walk out there with her, or I needed to let her walk away. But there was just something there. Walking away wasn't an option, for either one of us."

"And it's kind of funny, earlier in the night, we were talking about you and Jaz, and she said something that I kind of laughed off. I'd been talking about how you and Jaz were like a car crash that everyone could see coming but you two until the glass was exploding all around you."

"Yeah, that's accurate," Dalton laughed.

"Well, what she said, I believe that it's true. She said for some people it's just like gravity. I didn't know it yet, but I was already in her orbit, I was just waiting for gravity to pull me in."

"Hannah, she's my gravity. She's the current that pulses beneath the surface, she's my oxygen, same as Jaz is yours."

"For three years, we saw you getting pulled in. Preach compared you to a tarpon dancing on the surface of the water even. I don't think Hannah and I were any different. I think you saw it when we met, I think Preach did, too. And when Hannah showed up in Turkey, I think it's safe to say Amir knew it as well."

"So what you're telling me is we were both blind?" Top asked.

"Yeah, in a nutshell," McG said with a laugh as he shoved his shoulder into Dalton's before they got up and started back towards their destination.

* * *

McGuire and Dalton walked into the boutique jeweler about a half an hour later than they'd intended, but they were now both convinced that this was exactly where they needed to be.

"Hi, my name is Joseph McGuire. I called this morning about an engagement ring." He told the older gentleman behind the counter.

"Ah yes, you spoke to my son. Let me get him; I think he's got something along the lines of what you were looking for."

"Thank you," Joseph said as he walked around looking at the cases in front of him.

"So, what about you? You think you'll marry Jaz?"

"Yes. It's not a matter of if, but when." Dalton said.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, whenever it comes down to one of us having to leave, I'd go. In a heartbeat. Jaz had worked too hard to get where she is; I won't have her bounced to another team. At least if they replaced me, she'd still have the rest of you. And then I could marry her. Besides, I've had a good career, and I could easily find a role either teaching or working in DC for the DIA. Hell, I could have another team, but I'm not sure that's what I want anymore, it wouldn't be the same without my family."

McG was a little surprised to hear that Top had thought that much about it, but it made sense. They knew at some point they'd be forced to make that choice. He wondered if Jaz would make the same one. Either way, it was kind of sweet to think that Dalton would just walk away to give Jaz a chance to stay with the team.

He hoped that day was still a long way off.

"Mr. McGuire. I'm Edward Gordon; we spoke on the phone earlier today. I think I have the setting you were looking for and the stones you were looking for as well. If you'd like I can show you some rings and we can design something, or perhaps you might just find the perfect ring here. All of our engagement rings are handcrafted."

Joseph was looking for a ring with a subtle hint of color, he wanted the ring to be unique, but he still wanted it to have a traditional feel.

"Well, we have some yellow diamonds, or chocolate, those are both popular right now."

"No. I'd like a traditional diamond, with just a hint of color to accent it." He said as his eyes landed on a setting with no center stone. "What about this one?"

Joseph pointed to a platinum channel set band that was labeled as a double halo, the outer portion was channel set diamonds, while the inner portion of the halo was made up of pale blue sapphires.

"That's a lovely piece. It's designed to have a oval cut, and the setting is accented with yellow gold. Would you like me to show you some stones that would fit this particular ring?"

"Yes. Please." McGuire said.

When Edward returned, he placed six different stones on a velvet pad and explained the quality differences and prices to Joseph. Once he'd selected a stone, Edward told him it would be ready in three to six weeks.

"Eddie, they're military, see if Lizzie can get it started a little sooner." The older gentleman said as he pointed to the dog tags that were peeking out from his henley.

"It's alright sir, three to six weeks is fine," Joseph said.

"My oldest was a Marine, lost him in Iraq."

"I was a combat medic in Iraq. Two tours. We lost a lot of good young men and women." Joseph said.

"Bet you had a hand in getting some of them back home, too." The man said.

Joseph nodded.

"What about you son?" He asked Dalton.

"Fallujah."

"Dad, I just finished a piece similar to this one only it's a cushion cut with pale pink sapphires and a rose gold accent. It was for the show next month, but you should show them." A young woman said in hushed tones.

"May I see it?" Joseph asked.

"Of course." The older man said.

The young woman brought it out, looking nervous as she carefully set it on the velvet pad.

"This is my daughter, Lizzie. She's been working on some brand new pieces for a show next month in LA."

Dalton just smiled as he looked at McGuire when he picked up the ring. That was the one. He could tell by the way McG was turning it over in his hands with a soft smile blooming across his face.

It was perfect. Joseph had planned on waiting a couple of months to get the ring, at least four weeks, but there it was right in front of him. Now his heart was in his throat knowing he'd be carrying a ring with him.

Today.

Eight weeks had seemed like an eternity, but he'd been prepared for that. Now, he could ask Hannah whenever he wanted.

"Do you like it?" Lizzie asked.

"This is the one," McG said. "It's perfect."

Lizzie just smiled, and a blush rose up on her cheeks as her dad pat her on the back.

"She's been working in France for the last four years with one of the top designers. She just came back and started working on some new designs that she was going to debut next month for our shop. So you are officially the first to get a Lizzie Gordon original." Her father said proudly.

"Well, that seems fitting. Hannah's an original, too." Joseph told them as he smiled at Lizzie.

"What about you son, you have a lucky lady in your life?"

"I do. And I'll be back for another Lizzie Gordon original soon." Dalton told the gentleman as he shook his hand.

Joseph came back after he'd paid for the ring just as Lizzie returned with the cleaned and boxed ring. She was beaming from ear to ear.

"This is my card. Would you do me a favor and tag us on social media after she says yes? I want to make sure we commemorate our first brand new design."

"Thank you, I will make sure we do that," McGuire said as he shook her hand and her fathers. "Tell your son we said thank you for his help as well."

"Will do. Congratulations Mr. McGuire."

* * *

"Well, bet you weren't thinking you'd have a ring burning a hole in your pocket today," Dalton said.

"Nope, but damn if I don't want to go find her right now."

"We aren't going to have to make a trip to Vegas are we?"

"No. I haven't even thought about how I'm going to propose yet; we've got time." McG said.

"Now that that's all settled, there's one question I've been dying to ask you."

"Shoot, Top."

"How exactly do you fuck someone so hard that it leaves a mark?"

McGuire just stopped and choked on the air he'd just sucked into his lungs, "You...Uh..."

"Oh hell yeah, every word. You didn't think I was going to let that go, did you?"

"Come on now; inquiring minds want to know."

"Careful, or I'm going to request a room next to yours everywhere we go from now on."

"Worse yet, I'll put you up on Abbie's couch instead of my guest room when you two come to Montana."

Top just laughed. "No worries, I'll just tell Jaz to ask Hannah."

"Oh for fuck's sake."

"Yes, I agree," Dalton added with a smirk.

* * *

Top and McGuire headed over to the hospital to check in with Preach and lock up their cover story. If they'd been there that afternoon, then it wasn't a lie.

Dalton texted Amir on the way to see if he wanted to meet up for dinner since Jaz and Hannah were going to be occupied by the girls for a few hours.

"What are you two up to?" Preach asked as he sat up in bed.

"McGuire's got a rock in his pocket."

"A what?"

Joseph looked towards the doorway as he pulled the ring box out of his pocket and handed it to Preach.

"Shit, I knew you were going down the moment you laid eyes on Hannah. You had that same look in your eye that I did the day I met Arlene. Fell right on my backside and made a complete fool of myself."

"Yes he did, but I fell in love with the fool anyway," Arlene said as she walked in. "And what do you have there Joseph?"

"Remember how I told you about the Analyst that McGuire was tripping all over himself for?" Preach said around a cough.

"Easy Preach," McG said as he handed him the nasal cannula when his oxygen saturation levels dipped. "She made me nervous, but I hardly tripped all over myself."

"Right. Okay. Well, this boy is going to propose to her. My only son is growing up." Preach joked as he continued to needle the medic.

"Hannah, of course. She came by with Jaz while you were sleeping this afternoon. And she flew out to Turkey with us on the Charter, though I'm sure you don't remember her being there Zeke."

"Well, give me that box," Arlene said as she opened it. "Oh, you did good Joseph. She's going to love it."

"Love what?" Amir said as he walked around the corner.

Arlene handed him the box.

Amir whistled as he turned the ring under the light, "You're a lucky guy McGuire."

"Don't I know it," McG said as he stuffed the box back in his pocket.

They'd stuck around until Preach's dinner arrived before they headed out leaving Preach and Arlene to enjoy a couple of hours of peace without the girls.

* * *

Jaz glanced at her phone before they headed to dinner, she'd been waiting for a text from Adam, and it finally came in as they were waiting to be seated.

The girls were playing Pac-Man at the table sitting beside the bench where they waiting.

 _McG just gave Amir a RING, he's going to come meet us for dinner. See you two at the hotel bar later?"_

Jaz smiled. Mission accomplished.

Just as that message pinged, her phone rang.

"Hi, Mama McG!" Jaz answered.

"Jazzy, it's good to hear your voice."

"How's my favorite mom?"

"Wonderful. When were you going to tell me that you and Adam finally figured out that you were fighting a futile battle?"

"Well, we're both hard-headed. Are you really that shocked?" Jaz said as she laughed.

"Oh, yes. That seems like a running theme in this little family you've all built together. So tell me all about Hannah."

"Nice segway there Abbie." Jaz laughed. "She's pretty special, but you had to know anyone that got McG to blink would have to be."

"I bet she's pretty."

"I sent you a couple of pictures this morning," Jaz said as she laughed at how not tech savvy McG's mom was.

"Oh. Well, let me check my messages. Ohhh, she's lovely, but why does Joseph look so thin?"

"Oh, we just had a long week before we rotated out. He'll probably be back to the ripped behemoth that you're accustomed to by the time he comes home. Plus, the food is much better over here. Keep in mind Amir is the only one of the five of us that can cook worth a damn. Unless Adam grills."

"You know, I could help you all with that. Does Hannah cook? What about babies, do you think she'll want babies? Do you think she'd consider living in Montana?"

Jaz laughed as Abbie went off with rapid-fire questions. Joseph knew her so well.

"Does she have siblings?"

"No. She's an only child like Joseph." Jaz answered.

It was the only one Jaz felt like she could answer as she watched Hannah holding Preach's youngest as her sisters played their game.

"And has my boy talked her into coming out to Montana?" Abbie asked.

"Of course, they're coordinating flights, and she has several weeks vacation time coming, but hopefully they'll be there later next week."

Patricia had given Hannah a little extra time since Joseph was stateside and she was quite possibly going to get some field work if Preach couldn't return.

"Good, now I can focus on getting you and Top to come out. I've been after Adam to come out here for two years. And I'd love to get to know Amir and Preach, too."

Oh boy. Jaz thought.

"We will certainly work on getting everyone's schedules together, but Preach's daughters are in school, so I'm betting he's not going to be venturing outside of California."

"Is there anything we can bring when we come in next week?" Hannah came over and took the phone as the server called Jaz's name.

"Hannah? Oh, it's so nice to get to talk to you, finally. All I need is for you to bring my son home. And yourself, of course, I am looking forward to meeting you."

Hannah laughed, "You, too. I have to go, we're taking Preach's daughters to dinner and a movie, but I'm really looking forward to spending some time with you."

"Oh honey, I'm so happy I got to talk with you. Tell Jazzy I'm expecting them."

"I will; you have a nice night!" Hannah said as she ended the call.

* * *

Abbie McGuire stared at the smile on her son's face in the pictures that Jaz had shared. He looked happy, and that was all any mother wanted for their child.

It was also impossible to miss spark that sizzled between the pair in the other picture. It was clear they didn't know they were being photographed, so what she saw was raw.

Abbie smiled, there would be babies for her to spoil in their future.

* * *

Up next, Dalton and Jaz have their own chapter coming in The Light Among Shadows. Look for that tomorrow hopefully, it could be earlier but no promises!

Then we're off to meet Mama McG. Are you ready?


	11. Follow You, Follow Me

Welcome to Montana!

Joseph has some secrets that are about to be revealed :)

And of course, here comes Abbie as promised!

Enjoy!

* * *

 _All my fears are drifting by me so slowly now_

 _Fading away_  
 _I can say_  
 _The night is long, but you are here_  
 _Close at hand, oh I'm better for the smile you give_  
 _And while I live_  
 _I will follow you will you follow me_  
 _All the days and nights that we know will be_  
 _I will stay with you will you stay with me_

 _Follow You, Follow Me - Genesis_

* * *

It was funny, McG and Hannah had spent so much time together in just a handful of days and spent a lot of their time building their relationship from a distance. So, for the first time in his life, Joseph was honestly nervous to see her.

They were on solid ground he knew, but he couldn't fight the butterflies that flitted and swooped in his stomach. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling, just wholly unfamiliar.

But, those butterflies scattered the moment he laid eyes on her coming up the ramp towards him in Denver.

She wore a figure-hugging deep red sweater that sloped down baring her shoulder on one side, dark gray skinny jeans, a killer pair of black boots, but the kicker was the ruby red lipstick that made Joseph want to kiss it off.

He didn't notice the smirk that Dalton wore, or Amir shaking his head, or even Jaz's little 'awe' when he dropped his carry-on and walked towards her.

All he saw was Hannah.

And all he could think about was holding her in his arms. Days apart felt like weeks, whatever it was, it was too long.

Hannah didn't see him until he was hefting her carry-on over his shoulder and lifting her into a tight hug.

"I missed you, pretty girl."

Hannah laughed out loud as she whispered, "I missed you, too Joseph."

He didn't want to let her go, but he reluctantly set her on her feet and grabbed onto her hand as they walked back to the group.

Hannah greeted the team, and they headed through the terminal to the far end where all of the small puddle jumper flights waited. They had about an hour and a half of layover, so McGuire dropped their gear at a grouping of seats where Amir settled with his tablet.

"You mind watching our stuff? I want to grab a coffee or something." McG asked Amir.

Amir laughed, "You want to grab Hannah and a dark corner somewhere...but I'll take a hot tea if you ever make it to get that coffee."

Dalton just laughed and shook his head; it was about time someone gave it back to McGuire, he'd been subjected to more than his fair share of ribbing in the past few months from all of them.

"Sure. Fine. Be back in a bit." McGuire said as he took Hannah's hand and led her towards the coffee shop they'd passed on the way to their gate.

Before they got there, McGuire noticed a bank of seats that sate behind the check-in that would block them from view until a flight started loading.

There was no plane at the gate, and no flight crew, so the gate was mostly empty apart from a teenager who had his headphones in and was clearly sleeping several sections over and well out of their sightline.

"Come here." He whispered as he wrapped an arm around her back and led her towards the windows and the little alcove he'd spotted.

Joseph sat down and pulled her into his lap with a denim-clad leg on either side before he sought out her ruby red lips that had been calling to him since she'd stepped into the terminal twenty minutes ago.

"I've been dying to do that forever." He laughed as he thumbed the now smudged lipstick from her lips.

Hannah still had her eyes closed as he did so.

She hummed dreamily, "I missed you."

Joseph's hands slipped over her thighs to her hips finally sweeping over her gorgeous backside as he pulled her a little further into him.

"I missed you, too. I wish you could have come with us, Jaz's friend has this amazing hotel in Brooklyn with the most incredible views."

"How did seeing her dad go? I hope it wasn't too hard on her." Hannah said.

He laughed, "Jaz never ceases to amaze me. Her dad was a flaming hot sack of garbage who clearly got off on tormenting his little girl, but Jaz made sure he knew she wasn't that girl anymore. She was fierce, and Top...well, let's just say he was itching to put the man down."

"He didn't..." Hannah said as her eyes went wide.

"No." He laughed. "We all stayed out of it for the most part. We had her back, and she knew that. But it was all Jaz, and it was glorious. When he first got there, you could feel the hate rolling off him in waves, but when she walked away, the stench of fear hung in the air. We were all pretty proud of her."

"Good. That's good." Hannah said as she leaned in and rubbed her cheek against his beard.

It was a little longer, softer. She kind of liked it.

"We should probably get that coffee before we miss our flight. Abbie would probably propel herself to Denver to kick my ass if I delayed her meeting you." Joseph said with a laugh.

Somehow, she didn't doubt that one bit though she suspected it would be to get to her boy, not to meet her.

McGuire helped Hannah to her feet and stood wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the Starbucks and ordered drinks for everyone. Tea for Amir, lattes for Hannah and Jaz, and americanos for McG and Dalton.

He'd considered getting some caramelized, whipped cream topped concoction just to see the look on Top's face when he handed it to him, but he decided the payback might not be worth the few minutes of hysteria that would ensue.

Besides, Jaz would probably just drink it.

Hannah and Joseph headed back with beverages in hand arriving just as their flight was called.

"Finally, we were about to draw straws to see who had to tell Abbie you two missed the flight." Dalton laughed as he took Jaz's drink and his americano from McG.

Hannah handed off Amir's tea and took Joseph's drink while he picked up their bags and they all headed out onto the tarmac.

* * *

Hannah was excited as she waited for her flight to Denver, and she was wrapped up in bliss as she cuddled into Joseph for the flight to Bozeman. But, as the plane dipped and descended, she was really nervous.

She'd met the parents of past boyfriends, but this felt like more than that. First of all, it was Abbie McGuire who was a larger than life, and Joseph was her only son. He was her everything, and Hannah felt the pressure of that starting to wrap around her like a vice.

"You okay?" Joseph asked as he felt her hand clench his.

"Mmmhmm. Just nervous I guess." She answered honestly.

"Why? You know the only prerequisite for Abbie is that you love me. So, she's going to love you." He told her.

"What if..."

"What if nothing. My mom is so excited to meet you; it's all she's talked about since she heard you were coming. Literally. If she had your number, she might not have called me at all." He joked.

"Right," Hannah said.

She wasn't buying his story at all.

* * *

Hannah hadn't realized just how small the Bozeman airport was; she'd been hoping she'd have a few minutes to get her breathing under control between the plane and baggage claim, but they'd made it to the top of the escalator in under three minutes.

She could already hear Abbie squealing in delight before she even saw the tiny little tornado with Joseph's dark eyes, warm olive skin tone and beautiful smile.

There were only a handful of people at the bottom of the escalator, and she was the only one in scrubs and hopping from foot to foot like a toddler in need of a potty break. That was Abbie McGuire, and she was adorable.

Abbie had deep espresso side-swept bangs with a long ponytail, and she looked like she could be his older sister, way too young to be his mother Hannah thought.

She should have looked exhausted given that she'd just finished a shift at the hospital, but she was vibrating with energy as they descended the escalator. Joseph was standing on the step below her with her hand in his as he smiled at his mom.

The moment they hit the bottom step, Abbie pushed right by him and threw her arms around Hannah.

"Hannah, I have been dying to meet you! Joseph, you said she was beautiful, but sweetheart, she is absolutely stunning. You did good baby boy." She said as she reached out and pulled him into their hug.

"Awe, baby boy," Amir laughed.

Joseph didn't care.

All he could do was smile like an idiot. He was standing in the middle of the airport surrounded by the two most important women in his life, and it felt amazing.

"Hi Abbie, good to see you again," Dalton said as he placed a hand on her shoulder hoping to usher them away from the escalator where they were creating a logjam.

"Adam, you and I need to have a serious discussion. What took you so long to see what was so plain to all of us?" She said as she reached for Jaz. "How are you Jazzy?"

"I'm just great." She said as she leaned into Abbie for a hug.

Dalton smiled, "I've always been a little thick headed. I think that's why I get along so well with your son."

"Well, that's probably true. I never thought I'd see the day." She said as she rubbed a hand over Hannah's back while the boys waited for their bags to come around.

Hannah flinched a little, and Joseph caught it out of the corner of his eye. He knew his mom noticed, he just hoped she didn't bring it up before Hannah was ready to cross that bridge. He'd have to run her off that topic when he had a minute alone with her.

Top pulled the first of their bags off the carousel as Abbie zeroed in on Amir.

"So, Amir, I've heard so much about you. Tell me, is there a girl in your life?"

Amir laughed uncomfortably as he answered, "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. McGuire..."

"No, no, no. You can call me Abbie, or you can call me mom. Mrs. McGuire was my mother, and she was a stick in the mud. Now, where were we?" She said as she thought for a moment. "Oh right, are you single?"

"Uh, umm."

Amir was speechless.

"Is he single, Hannah?" She asked when Amir failed to answer.

Hannah just burst out laughing; her nerves had evaporated the second Abbie had blown right by her son and swept her into a hug. She didn't think it was possible, but Abbie McGuire just made her love the man beside her even more.

It was no wonder that he was such a confident and open man, how could he have been anything else.

"He's single." Dalton shared as he smirked at Amir.

Amazingly, Amir went just a shade more horrified at Top's admission.

They all laughed at his obvious discomfort, but Joseph knew Abbie would jump all over that. She did it with him every time he came home, no matter how much he protested.

In fact, he was sure that only made her push harder.

* * *

Once they'd collected all of their bags, they walked outside. Only in Bozeman could you leave your big ass SUV running at the curb with the hazards on.

Dalton kind of liked that, it was also the kind of place where kids still played street hockey, skated on ponds in winter, and front doors were frequently left unlocked.

McGuire drove through town as Abbie pointed out the local shopping area, the hospital she worked at and the cute little neighborhoods Dalton was sure she was envisioning as the perfect spot for he and Jaz to lay down roots.

She was in mom mode, and it was no secret that she viewed Dalton and Jaz as a part of her brood. Amir would probably leave here feeling like a part of the family, too. It was just Abbie's way, and there was almost no denying her.

She'd wanted a bunch of kids, but instead, Abbie found herself pregnant at 19. Her parents had essentially abandoned her when she chose to keep her son, and Joseph's father offered to pay for an abortion but wanted nothing to do with them once she'd made her decision clear.

While Abbie had never married, she never stopped wanting more kids either. So, the moment she met Jaz and Dalton and learned a bit more about their childhoods they'd been claimed.

Neither one of them even tried to resist, Abbie was everything they'd hoped their mothers could have been but never were.

Joseph smiled as his house came into view. It had been too long since he'd been back.

Hannah gasped when he pulled into the long drive carved into a valley at the base of a rolling hill.

" _This_ is your house?" She asked as she took in the winding drive that split about a mile from the road.

"That's my house," He said as he pointed to an old converted barn that seamlessly blended into a stone and wood farmhouse with a porch that wrapped halfway around the front and massive windows that gave a clear view all the way through to the back of the house.

"Mom lives over there." He finished as he pointed towards a smaller house down the lane to the right.

"My dad was a land developer. I was an only child, so even though he wanted nothing to do with us, we were the only living relatives. So, his land holdings were left to Joseph when he died about ten years ago." She told them with a shrug.

"I sold it all. Figured if he didn't want anything to do with me, I didn't need to feel bad about selling off everything he'd ever worked for. I never even met the man." Joseph stated matter of factly.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry," Hannah told him.

She knew his mom's backstory, but she hadn't known about his grandfather's absolute dismissal of his only grandson. And she certainly hadn't expected this picturesque farmhouse or the lush green landscape that surrounded it.

"Anyway, I took the money and bought the little farmhouse and the land. The old Barn was in pretty bad shape, but I couldn't tear it down, so we fixed it up as a cool private loft and added on the main house for mom. But she fell in love with the farmhouse, and that was that."

McGuire pulled into the half circle drive out front. Hannah just sat staring at the gorgeous views of the town below as the street lights began to flicker to life with the sun setting behind them.

"I don't need that big house, I always sort of figured you'd come back someday and fill it with all the babies I never got to have," Abbie said with a wistful smile as she watched Hannah wander towards the house.

Dalton knew the whole story, so did Jaz, but the last time either of them had been out there, construction was only half finished. He had to admit; the finished product was gorgeous. Jaz had joined Hannah as she stepped onto the porch.

"Did you know?" She asked.

"I knew, but this wasn't even close to finished when I was here last," Jaz told her. "McG this is...I have no words."

McG could retire tomorrow with all the land he'd sold off, but they all knew that wouldn't be enough for him.

He was just like Abbie, they were built to help people, and both of them had hearts of gold.

"It's beautiful. I just never...I mean I pictured a cute little farm, but I never imagined this." She said as she turned back towards him.

"I wanted to surprise you. This is the place that I love most in the world." He said as he opened the tailgate and hefted their bags from the back.

"Come on." He said as he led her to the front door.

"Adam, Jaz why don't you two take the loft in the barn. That way you have a little privacy. Come take a look Amir and tell me about the perfect girl for you." Abbie said as Joseph led Hannah through the front door.

Dalton laughed, Abbie was not subtle at all.

* * *

Hannah held her breath as she took in the reclaimed wood floors and open floorplan. It had a traditional farmhouse style kitchen with a heritage style range and a massive island that led into the great room. There was a family-style dining table the lined up against a wall of glass doors that opened onto a slate patio for an indoor-outdoor feel. The main living area was built around a two-story stone fireplace that looked out onto a creek and a jacuzzi that sat beside an outdoor fire pit.

Hannah knew her mouth was likely gaping open, but she couldn't find the words to do any of it justice.

"Come on, I'll take our bags up to the bedroom," Joseph said as he grabbed their stuff and led her up a wooden staircase to a lofted sitting area that took advantage of the views and opened into the master suite.

The ceiling was sloping with a roofline that mimicked the old barn and one end opened to a wall of glass and a private deck with a decadent looking hammock anchored to one side.

The bed was built into a wall of reclaimed wood with a pair of slate steps off to one side leading to an open bath with a freestanding tub and a giant walk-in shower that passed through to a walk-in closet that was designed with a woman in mind. The whole thing was partitioned from the bedroom with old red barn doors.

"My mom had a lot to do with the finishes. I mostly worked on the design with the architect and builder, and I built some of the reclaimed wood furnishings. That's all." He said as he swept her hair over her shoulder and rubbed his thumb over the scar on her neck.

Hannah leaned into his touch as she always did and said, "That's all?"

"Joseph, this is like a dream home. I'm just...I don't know how you would ever go back to that bunker after living here." She said.

"I've never lived here. I always stayed in the loft when I came home. This just kind of felt strange to me. Empty." He said. "But, I don't want it to be."

"What...What are you..." She said as she tried to get a read on him.

"Hannah, this place was...therapy. It was the thing that I could focus on when I came home from a rough tour, or a long deployment. I always thought I was doing it for my mom, but when we finished it about a year ago, she made it clear it was meant for a family. Deep down I knew she was right, and I even considered selling it and just building something smaller on the other end of the property."

"You could still do that, right?" She asked.

"I could, but...come with me." He said as he led her back down the stairs to the patio off the kitchen and down towards the creek. "I didn't know then that I was building my dream home when I built it. I didn't really think about having a wife, or a family to share it with, but now...it's all I can think about."

"Joseph..." She said as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"For so long, I told myself that I didn't need anyone. I didn't want to give anyone the power to hurt me the way my mom had been hurt, and I certainly didn't want to have a child with someone that wouldn't be there the way that my mom always was. Because of that, I almost missed you."

Tears shimmered in her eyes as she reached up and ran her fingers through the short hair at the nape of his neck.

"I don't know what my life would look like if you had pushed the down button on that elevator that first night, and honestly I don't even want to think about it. I just want to think about waking up to the most beautiful view in the world."

Hannah looked out at the creek imagining how it would look first thing in the morning with the dew clinging to the grass. She knew it would be stunning.

"No, Hannah...I'm _already_ looking at the most beautiful view in the world." He told her as he turned her eyes back up to his.

She swallowed hard as she stared at him, and her heart started to beat rapidly in her chest.

"Hannah, do you think you could wake up to this view every day?" Joseph asked as he got down on one knee. "Because it would make me really happy to share this place with you for the rest of our lives."

Hannah's hands were shaking as she tried to cover the gasp that fell from her lips when he pulled a ring from his pocket and held it out to her.

"Will you marry me?"

The tears that had been shimmering now fell freely as she reached out towards him before she fell to her knees on the grass in front of him knocking him breathless with a desperate kiss.

"I love you so much." She whispered as she gave him a watery smile.

"I love you, too. Is that a yes?" He laughed as he swiped a tear from her cheek.

"Yes! Of course, it's a yes!" She cried as she threw her arms around his neck.

Joseph leaned back far enough that he could look into her eyes, his heart had been pounding since they'd stepped into the master bedroom.

He hadn't really planned to ask her that night, he wanted to come up with something special, but as she stared at the house he'd built with that look of wonder, he couldn't think of it ever feeling like a home without her in it.

So he'd grabbed the ring from his backpack as she wandered through the bedroom and decided that planning wasn't what made it special, she did.

She was all that he needed.

"Can I put this ring on your finger?" Joseph asked as he smiled at her.

She held her hand out and got her first really good look at the ring as he slipped it on.

"It's absolutely perfect," Hannah said as she tried to get her shaking under control.

"Yes, you are." Joseph hummed as he pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her before kissing her with every ounce of passion he felt coursing through his veins.

"I love you, pretty girl."

"I love you, too." She smiled as they both tried to catch their breath.

"Oh my god!" they heard from off in the distance.

Before they could pinpoint where it was coming from, Abbie was pulling Hannah into her arms as she shook with joy, "Let me see that ring!"

Hannah laughed as she held her hand out to Abbie, "Oh my baby boy, you picked the prettiest one."

"You didn't even see the choices." He laughed.

"Phfft. I'm not talking about the ring; I'm talking about the girl!" She exclaimed as laid her hand against Hannah's cheek.

"I couldn't agree with you more." He said as he pulled them both into a hug.

"Does this mean I get to have grandbabies before I'm 60?"

"Mom!" Joseph said as he rolled his eyes.

* * *

Well...what'd you think?

Did it live up to your expectations?

Another Chapter of Call Me Joseph should be up this weekend, then Light Among the Shadows hopefully before Monday Night.


	12. Yours

NSFW unless you enjoy the torture...then by all means.

I thought I'd get this up yesterday, but then I kept messing with the end and I was getting tired...so I thought better to go at it with fresh eyes today. Nothing good ever happens when editing while half asleep, Trust me.

I love the song at the beginning...It is perfect for these two really :) Give it a listen, I think you'll like it!

Also, I've got some questions for you at the end... But for now, enjoy.

Also, there is a Pinterest board up now that is dedicated to both of these fics. Find me there... Kelo7777

* * *

 _I will find my strength to untame my mouth_  
 _When I used to be afraid of the words_  
 _But with you I've learned just to let it out_  
 _Now my heart is ready to burst_

 _'Cause I, I feel like I'm ready for love_  
 _And I wanna be your everything and more_  
 _And I know every day you say it_  
 _But I just want you to be sure_  
 _That I'm yours_

 _Yours - Ella Henderson_

* * *

Dalton, Jaz, and Amir heard Abbie making a commotion as they wandered into the main living area of the house. They'd wanted to marvel at the space, but there was no way they were going to miss out on whatever was going on out on the patio.

What they saw as they rounded the corner was McGuire beaming as he watched his mom fussing over Hannah while she looked at the ring on her finger.

"He did it," Jaz said as she hopped up and down before pushing past the guys to congratulate the pair.

Since Hannah was currently occupied with Abbie, Jaz threw her arms around McG and said, "You might just be the luckiest guy in Montana."

"I think so." McGuire said as he hugged her back.

"Meh, I don't know about that," Dalton joked as he clapped McGuire on the shoulder and kissed Jaz on the cheek, he was feeling pretty lucky himself. "I'm happy for you. You both found exactly what you needed in each other. Some people never get that lucky."

"You definitely got lucky," Amir said as he gave McGuire a one-armed hug. "I'm really happy for both of you."

Abbie finally pulled Joseph into a hug; she looked like a little pixie as she wrapped her five foot nothing frame around her son who easily stood well over a foot taller at six foot three.

"She's absolutely wonderful. And Joseph, you deserve every bit of this happiness and more. Something tells me that Hannah does, too." She told him.

"She deserves everything." He told her as he picked his mom up and twirled her around like he used to when he was a kid.

He'd been big enough to do it from about twelve on, and it always earned him a big, boisterous laugh from his mom. Joseph loved it.

"So when are you gonna get started on making those babies? You're too big for me to spoil now." Abbie asked as he put her down and swept Hannah into his arms again.

Joseph laughed, "We're just practicing on the baby front, mom." He said while his cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink and Hannah giggled.

McG did his best to hide that particular reaction against Hannah's neck, but he only made things worse when he got the sudden urge to scrape his teeth along the raised pink ridge of her scar. That giggle turned into something else entirely, and it didn't escape anyone's notice.

"Mmmm." Hannah moaned as she tilted her head back allowing him better access.

"Baby boy, if it was about practice, I'm pretty sure that you mastered that before you were halfway through high school, and by the looks of it, you two are plenty well practiced," Abbie joked as she walked back towards the house.

Abbie shook her head, neither one of them had heard a word she said once Hannah was in his arms. The whole world evaporated around them in that moment.

"Would it be rude if I just threw you over my shoulder and carried you up to bed?" Joseph asked as he tasted more of her soft skin.

"I'm going to take everyone into town for dinner," Abbie shouted theatrically as she popped her head out from the kitchen.

The two of them hadn't even noticed that everyone had left the patio up to that point.

"Mmmhmm, we'll be right there," McG answered after the door had already closed.

"We should," Hannah started as Joseph pushed her sweater further down her shoulder to expose more of her skin.

"Yeah, they're gone. If we're lucky, they'll stay gone for an hour or two."

"Well then, I think I'm gonna need you to give me the bedroom tour again." She said as she stared at the ring on her finger over his shoulder.

"Mmmm, that's exactly what I was thinking." He said as he swung her up into his arms and carried her back into the house. "I really need to show you how that steam shower works, because I'm feeling a little dirty."

Hannah just moaned in response.

Good things always happened when he was feeling dirty, and a week was far too long to go without Joseph McGuire. This much she knew for sure.

* * *

The trail of clothing started at the bottom of the stairs with her red sweater, and those killer boots along with his belt, sweater, boots, and t-shirt.

Two pairs of jeans littered the floor of the sitting room, and a sexy black bralet and lacy panty set didn't quite make it to the bathroom.

Joseph's boxers and socks made it over the threshold but were unceremoniously discarded just outside the shower.

"Come here pretty girl; I need to worship you," He murmured as he sat down on the curved bench and helped her crawl over his lap with her knees at either side of his hips.

Hannah let out a shiver, but it turned out to be reflex because the bench was already warm even though the water hadn't even come on yet.

Of course, a second later, the door closed and the space was enveloped with a cloud of steam and a cascade of blissfully warm water.

"The tile in the bathroom is all heated. Winter is brutal up here." He told her as he rubbed his beard across the silky skin of her neck before his tongue met the scar on the side.

Hannah shuddered under his ministrations, "How do you always do that?"

"Do what?" He asked as he scraped his teeth over the highly sensitized flesh.

"Turn something that always made me flinch into something that makes my skin prickle with heat?"

"Pretty girl, if it takes the rest of our lives, I promise I will try to turn _everything_ that ever brought you pain into something that brings you pleasure." He stated as he sucked hard on the flesh making her squirm deliciously in his lap.

'Mmmm. I believe you." Hannah hummed as her eyes fell shut.

"I may never be able to erase the bad memories, but I can make you feel so good that you stop thinking about them when you're with me," Joseph told her as he let his hands slip low on her backside and almost between her thighs helping her to raise up on her knees.

He now had access to every inch of skin from her collarbones to the upper half of her stomach.

"Mmmm, I love how the goosebumps rise everywhere my beard abrades your perfect skin. Kind of makes me never want to shave."

Hannah was panting with need, and he hadn't even touched any of her hot spots.

"Put your knees on the bench over here and lean against the wall," He whispered against her skin as he pointed to the bench in front of him.

Hannah did as he asked so that she was no longer in his lap, but turned with her back to him facing the corner. Just a few months ago, the position would have had her shaking with anxiety, hell it never would have happened, but this man changed everything.

Joseph leaned into her and let his tongue seek out the prominent scars starting with the one that bisected her shoulder blade and ran in a jagged path towards her spine. Something that once had brought great pain, both physically and emotionally now had her shivering with raw need.

Joseph really did have some magic she thought.

Hannah was breathing so hard that she could feel the steam coating her lungs and her muscles were bordering on molten honey as they dripped with relaxation. Everything felt soft and languid.

Well, everything except Joseph.

"I need to touch you." She hummed as his tongue moved from her spine to the deepest scar that ran around her hip.

It twisted down to the very bottom of where her ass met her thigh and Joseph followed it all the way there with his tongue, his lips, and his beard.

Every inch of Hannah's skin flamed in his wake.

"Mmmm. I'm not ready for you to touch me yet," He whispered as he let his teeth graze that supple flesh while his hands gripped her thighs.

His thumbs were slowly working towards her center, but up to this point, Joseph was singularly focused on all the places that her fears had once resided. He was still seated behind her just out of her reach.

"P-please." She whined when he made no moves to ease the ache of her need.

"What do you need Hannah?"

"I need you to touch me."

"Baby girl, I am touching you." He said with a laugh.

"Commit." She growled as she slapped her hand on the glass in front of her.

With that command, he smiled as he tapped her behind and said, "stand up for me, and put your hands on the glass."

She did as he asked and he slid between her legs so that his back was to the glass and his face was just a breath away from giving her exactly what she craved.

Hannah sighed as she stared down at him running her fingers through his hair, while her right hand stayed firmly pressed to the glass.

"Sweet girl, it doesn't get any more committed than this," He said as he twisted the ring on her finger with a smile. "I said I wanted to worship you, and I meant every word. I'm not done yet, but I promise I'll never leave you wanting. Not tonight, not ever."

Hannah let her eyes slip closed, and a moan fell from her lips a second later as Joseph's warm breath wrapped around her core just before his tongue pressed firmly against her clit.

Joseph's hands were still anchored around the backs of her legs, but his thumbs were pressed tight against the juncture of her thighs adding a pressure that was making her knees weak.

It just wasn't enough pressure, and it wasn't being directed where she wanted it.

Hannah was being consumed by the fire that raged beneath her skin. When she was with him, she felt like that red-hot ember that was just waiting for a puff of oxygen to re-ignite. And for her, Joseph was a steady stream of oxygen.

Always ready to fan the flames.

Sometimes, all it took was a look.

He sucked her clit hard as his beard abraded her skin and if that wasn't hot enough, he was humming in pleasure against her as his grip against her inner thighs tightened. Joseph was feasting on her, and it was fucking hot.

* * *

Joseph didn't think he could ever get enough of the woman in front of him. The sounds she made, the way her skin heated under his touch, or the way her hips moved as she sought out her pleasure. Especially, the way she tasted against his tongue.

It was all of those things, but the way he could feel her warmth dripping from his chin was what was about to do him in.

He couldn't help the moan that escaped against her flesh as the first drops hit his chest, his beard no longer able to contain it. She was soaked, and it was all because of him.

That power rivaled the adrenaline he felt when he won a fight or survived a heated battle. It made him feel almost as good as he did buried balls deep just seconds before Hannah pulls an almost violently pleasurable orgasm from him.

And she did have that power, too.

What he felt with her was explosive. For all the firsts that he had given away with so little thought, Hannah made them new again.

Hannah was the only first that mattered. The first and only woman that he loved.

Joseph was pulled from that thought as he felt that tell-tale quiver against his fingertips.

"You want to come don't you baby girl." He murmured as he finally sunk two fingers inside of her earning him a whimper of pure bliss.

He could feel that engorged little hot spot, and he could hear and feel how wet she got as he pressed his fingers firmly against it. Within a couple of strokes, she was dripping down his arm and fuck if that didn't make his cock jerk and weep in protest.

"Does that feel as good to you as it does to me?" He asked as he rubbed his fingers against the little bump of nerves and watched her knees start to give.

Joseph anchored her to him with his free arm, and Hannah pressed her forehead to the glass as she whispered, "You make me feel things that I'd never even thought to fantasize about, let alone experience."

"Mmmm. I never really had a lot of fantasies, but now, they all look a lot like this. Right here." He hummed as he doubled down on his efforts to make her come.

"O-oh. Mmmm." She murmured as her knees finally gave.

Joseph just went with it as he threw one leg then the other over his shoulders and anchored her core right to his mouth as he took on her full weight.

He sucked hard on her clit as he sunk his fingers into her g-spot with one goal in mind. Joseph was going to make her explode.

He knew it. She knew it. It was just a matter of time.

"Oh, fuck, harder. Y-yes. Right there." She screamed as she rode his face.

Hannah was right on the precipice of the most intense orgasm she'd had maybe ever, and she was trying so hard to hang on, but he pushed her right over the edge. Not with his beard, not his tongue, not even with those magic fingers.

Nope.

What did Hannah in was the deep guttural groan that was emanating from Joseph's chest.

"Uhhh, come for me baby girl. I want to feel you crush my fingers and soak my chest." He growled against her flesh.

How could she do anything less than what he'd asked when he was just so persuasive.

"F-F-fuuuck. Yes." She cried as she did everything that he'd been waiting for bringing a smile to his lips as he continued to coax her through her release.

"Fuck you feel so good." He hummed as he pressed his lips to her fluttering belly while his fingers still gently rubbed over that spot making her legs jerk in response.

When he finally settled her into his lap, he smiled at her dreamy gaze. Joseph scooped up some water and moved to rub his hand over his beard, but he never got the chance as Hannah knocked him back with a hungry kiss.

He knew she could taste herself on his lips and hell if that didn't get him going just a little bit more.

Hannah's nails bit into his shoulders as she pressed closer to him definitely aiming to keep the party going, but Joseph turned off the water. She whined in protest as he stood and wrapped a towel around her shoulders.

"Don't worry pretty girl; I'm not even close to finished with you." He told her as he patted her skin dry.

Joseph wrapped a towel around his waist and hoisted her into his arms as he carried her through the bedroom out onto the deck where the sun was setting off in the distance. He flipped a switch, and a soft glow emanated from the metal pillars at the corners of the deck.

Heaters she realized as warmth quickly started to surround them.

Clearly, he'd thought of everything. Or someone had. Though knowing how thorough he was in all aspects of his life, she suspected it was all Joseph.

Joseph set her carefully on the hammock as he crawled up over her and settled himself against her pelvis.

The energy around them still pulsed with desire, but the urgency had dissipated as Joseph just kissed her contentedly while his fingers dragged over her skin.

"Mmmm, baby girl every time I get close to your skin I feel like a struck match about to kiss gasoline. I just burn for you." He whispered as he carelessly sipped at her lips.

"Then we'll burn together." Hannah hummed as she let her fingers drag through his hair.

As her fingernails scraped against his scalp sending chills down his spine, Joseph couldn't help but rock into Hannah pulling a gasp from her throat and allowing him to deepen his kisses.

"God I love every move, every sound you make. I crave it all when you aren't beside me, but when you're underneath me, it makes my heart beat faster, my skin warm, and fuck it makes my cock hard." He said as he punctuated the thought with a thrust of his hips.

She sunk her teeth into his lower lip as she hummed in pleasure. Hannah could feel the pulse of his cock against her thigh.

The rhythmic sway of the hammock only added to the dizzying need that was building between them.

The sun was now just a sliver on the horizon, and they knew they would only be alone so much longer. Still, they couldn't be bothered to hurry this moment.

Joseph hummed in pleasure as she raked her nails over his ass. It sent another round of shivers coursing through him as she raised her leg allowing him to fall further into the cradle of her hips.

He finally allowed himself to sink into her, but he just wasn't ready for this to end. Instead, he was consumed with one astonishing thought that made his heart feel like it was on the verge of exploding from his chest.

She was his.

Hannah said yes.

He thought as he turned the ring on her finger. The thought just made him feel warm all over. Joseph couldn't even believe it was possible, but it was.

"You said yes." He whispered with a smile as he stared down into her eyes with a look of wonder while he brushed his fingers through her hair.

"I said yes," Hannah said as she smiled back at him.

"You know, after Jaz got taken, I saw how it tore Top up. And when we found her, I saw how it made him whole again. That was the first time in my life that I thought maybe I was missing the point. The funny thing is, not a week later you blew into my life, and I can't even begin to understand how I lived without this feeling. This feeling of completeness that I know is because of you."

Joseph hugged her leg to his side as he scraped his teeth over that little hollow at the base of her neck. He rocked his hips against her along with the gentle sway of the hammock.

They were surrounded by this soft pleasure that hovered over them like warm waves rolling over your feet first thing in the morning.

"For so long, it was like living life in the dark without the sun or oxygen. And then there you are. The moonlight lighting my way through the shadows, and the air that sustains me until I'm wrapped in your arms and surrounded by your warmth." He told her. "I love you. I love you so much, Hannah."

"I love you, too." She whispered as she scraped her teeth against his jaw and canted her hips allowing him to slip deeper into her.

Joseph closed his eyes as he absorbed a ripple of pleasure that threatened to steal his breath. It was starting to sneak up on him, and he knew the time for slow and easy might soon be out of reach.

Apparently, Hannah was on the same page as he felt her heels dig into his ass and her breath stuttered in her chest.

"Do you need more baby girl?" Joseph whispered as he scraped his teeth over that scar again.

He didn't know what it was about that mark that was etched into her perfect skin; it drew him every time it caught his eye. Maybe it was that it was a part of her that only he was allowed to touch.

"I need. I need...I want you under me." She finally got out.

Joseph shuddered as he thought about her taking control.

He shifted his hips as he slipped his arm around hers and carefully switched their positions. It took a little longer given the countermotion of the hammock, but it was well anchored by four heavy ropes, so he knew it wouldn't flip no matter how vigorous things got.

Still, the thought crossed his mind, and nothing would throw ice water on a good night quite like getting unceremoniously dumped on the floor.

Once his back was pressed against the canvas, Joseph should have felt steady, but then Hannah started to move.

He watched as her hips rolled forward, the ripple of muscle at the tops of her thighs as they gripped his sides, her fingernails biting into his chest, the way her skin took on that pink tone from exertion, and the flash of white as her teeth captured her full lower lip.

Joseph had to close his eyes because there was just too much stimulation in front of him and he was about ready to lose his mind.

He let his hands come to rest against her hips in the hopes that he could drive the pace enough to slow things down, but for the first time in as long as he could remember, Joseph was fighting hard to hold it together.

Hannah laughed. Actually laughed out loud as she recognized his struggle.

It was clear as he held his breath and dug his fingers into her flesh.

"She laughs." He mutters as he continues to struggle. "I don't think you'll be laughing when this ends before you're ready."

"Awe, baby, I've never once had a single concern about you making sure that I come. So, I'm not going to start tonight." She said as she pressed her fingers against her clit.

"Mmmm. For once, that's not helping." He groaned as his back arched off the hammock and his eyes rolled back in his head.

Hannah loved that she could bring him to the brink of losing control, and she was determined to make him lose it as she ground down over him and swiveled her hips. She could feel him throbbing inside of her, and she knew it wouldn't take much.

"Hannah..." He growled.

When she pulled almost all the way off and slammed back down, Joseph tried to anchor her in place as he lost it, "Fuck Han-nah!"

Joseph could feel the pulse in his cock, he was way past the point of no return. He'd hoped to stave it off, but she was clearly on a mission.

She didn't quit; she kept moving as he literally shook beneath her.

"Oh Jesus baby girl, you're fucking killing me." He mumbled as he watched her move.

Joseph's head said he was done, but his body wasn't so much on board with that plan.

Hannah pushed her hand against his lower abdominal muscles as she tried to gain leverage, but Joseph groaned as he felt the ache from holding off his orgasm moments earlier low in his belly.

He couldn't stop it now as he arched hard into her for one final thrust and came as her name fell from her lips.

Hannah could feel the cool air at her back as a bead of sweat started to trickle down her back. Her hair clung to her neck, and her hands slipped even lower on his belly as she tried to stay still for a minute. She knew he was probably overly sensitive and she could still feel him jerking inside of her.

"Mmmm. Ahhhh, ohhhh fuck." She hummed as she felt a stronger pulse when he opened his eyes and looked up at her.

Joseph watched her as he slipped his right hand between them and skimmed his thumb over her clit.

"Oooh, yeah." She hummed as she let the air out of her lungs with a slow sigh and closed her eyes.

"God, you have no idea what those sounds do to me. That little breathless sigh, fuck..."

Hannah sought out more contact as she laid her chest against him, and Joseph stole some leverage as he wrapped his legs around hers so he could put his feet flat on the hammock between her knees, all while opening her up to him further.

With her anchored to his chest, it was all he needed to drive harder and finish her off.

"O-o-oh fuck." She shouted as his hand came down on her ass for leverage.

"Mmm, fuck you liked that didn't you sweet girl?" He asked as he rubbed the spot he was sure would have a little pink tinge.

"Uh-uh-huh." She stuttered as her movements started to falter.

Joseph did it again, and he felt that telltale flutter against his cock. He could feel his pulse concentrated where their bodies met, all of his blood was currently focused in that general direction, so it was all he could do not to just lose his mind. Again...

"I need you to..." She didn't finish as Joseph carefully flipped her so that her head was on the opposite side of the hammock and her back met canvas.

He already knew what she needed, because he needed it, too.

Once she was settled, Joseph took her hand and settled it over her clit willing her to take her pleasure so he could get them both over the edge.

She did.

Her fingers grazed over her clit as she sucked her lower lip between her teeth and moaned in appreciation as he started to slam his hips into hers.

"Fuck, you feel so good baby girl." He mumbled as he tried to keep up the punishing rhythm.

"Mmmm, I need to come so bad." She whined as he continued.

"Do it. Please." He whispered as he sunk his teeth into her neck only to feel her clamp down on his cock and scream out her release.

He made it about another fifteen seconds as he rode through her aftershocks with her nearly boneless beneath him except for her fingers that were still anchored against his ass.

"Uhhhhhh, fuck yeah." He finally shouted as he spilled inside of her.

That was another first, it wasn't as intense, but it was no less satisfying.

A minute later, they heard laughter.

"Didn't want to throw you off your rhythm, but we started a fire on the patio whenever you can feel your legs again," Amir yelled from the patio below.

Hannah just buried her face in his neck, but Joseph laughed, "Get used to it. You might be an innocent bystander, but I've more than earned the ribbing that's coming our way with all the shit I've given Top and Jaz in the last few months."

* * *

Once they caught their breath, Joseph carried Hannah back into the bathroom where they actually took a quick shower. Even though there was a fall chill in the air, they'd both worked up a sweat.

Once they'd finished up, he carefully placed her in the bed as Hannah failed to stifle a yawn before he went back to the closet and threw on some clothes.

"I'm just going to go down for a bit and take whatever I've got coming, then hopefully you won't have to deal with the jokes all day tomorrow." He told her as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.

McG wandered out onto the patio a few minutes later.

Jaz and his mom were off to one side talking as Amir and Top were in a deep conversation, but all that stopped the second they spotted him.

"Who knew that little pink ring would turn out to be a little blue pill." Top said as he looked at his watch.

Everyone laughed as Joseph glanced at the clock on his phone, they'd been gone for three hours. Three hours that he'd spent full on worshipping the woman who had happily agreed to be his wife. Well, shit if that didn't have a grain of truth to it, maybe that ring was a magic blue pill.

"While you're calculating that in your head, we've been back for an hour." His mom shared.

Hannah would be horrified to know they'd been on the patio for that long. Surely they hadn't heard everything, but he was certain they heard enough to fuel days of jokes at their expense.

"Just lay off Hannah, I may have earned this, but she didn't sign up for all of you mercilessly digging into our sex life."

"You sure about that, she sounded pretty merciless with you not a half hour ago," Jaz said. "She brought the mighty Joseph McGuire to his knees."

"Yeah, well she's been able to do that since we shook hands in the bar the night you two introduced us," Joseph told her.

"Yeah, I could see that, even then," Dalton said.

"And anyway, she's not here now, so you're fair game," Jaz said. "Though in fairness, I'd probably be sleeping too after that marathon. Seriously, do you need some water, a protein shake maybe?"

Abbie just laughed as she watched the group easily throw barbs and laugh at his expense. He was clearly able to dish it out, and he was taking everything they had to throw at him like a champ.

"So, a hammock? Guess it's a good thing you've been working on your core strength." Amir joked.

McGuire was ready for a subject change before this got out of hand, and he had a pretty good idea of how he would accomplish that task.

"Mom, when are you going to bring that cute little nurse around that you always talk about, Melinda is it? Top and I need to level the field somehow."

"Amen to that brother," Dalton said as he bumped fists with McGuire.

It was about time Amir went down, too.

"Actually, I was thinking about asking Melinda and a few of the other nurses to come by for dinner tomorrow night," Abbie said.

"What about Dani?" McG asked.

"Oh, of course, Dani is definitely going to want to come by as soon as she hears that you're in town." His mom told them. "I've got an early shift, but maybe we can just grill if the weather co-operates."

"Amir, you won't know what hit you." He told his friend.

McGuire had gone to high school with Dani Shaw, she was a gymnast back then, and he'd always made jokes about putting her in his pocket because he was already over six feet tall and she barely broke five feet. Not to mention the fact that she probably weighed 90 pounds soaking wet.

Of all the nurses that his mom could bring by, Dani was the one that he thought would really throw Amir for a loop.

She looked like a little Barbie, and people often judged her as such, but she was highly intelligent and more than capable of standing up to anyone who discounted her because of the way she looked.

The same could be said of Amir. He wasn't a big man, and he looked like a mild-mannered accountant, but they all knew he was far more lethal than any of them on their best days.

Amir was scary because he was the kind of guy that could walk into any room unnoticed.

He was lethal because he could take a life and walk out of that same room without anyone knowing what he'd done.

Amir didn't look the part of a spy, but that was what made him such a good one.

Another plus was that Dani's dad was a doctor and a marine, so she would certainly fit in well with this group, too.

* * *

Like Jaz, Dani had always been more of a little sister to McG. She was a nurse now working side by side with his mom, so he often heard about Dani from his mom when they spoke over the phone during deployments.

Dani never landed on Joseph's radar in terms of dating. And if he was honest, he didn't think he was ever her type either. She seemed to prefer guys that were more cerebral. Quiet.

Amir would certainly fit that bill.

McGuire was obviously intelligent, but that wasn't the defining characteristic of his personality. He was intense sure, but he generally veered more towards playful and flirtatious when lives weren't on the line.

Especially with women.

That hadn't appealed to Dani at all.

She thought it was cute and funny, but it wasn't what she was looking for in a boyfriend.

"Mom, I thought she was dating that doctor, what's his name?" McG said as he thought about the kinds of men she did gravitate towards.

"Ugh, no. Dr. Morrisey turned out to be a total pig. Dani had to get a restraining order, and she almost took a job out of state until he was essentially forced out. She's sworn off dating, but I think she just needs a nice guy." Abbie said as she eyed Amir.

"Wow, that's too bad. I take it the doctor has left her alone since then?" Dalton asked.

None of them were big fans of men that mistreated women. They saw enough of that in their line of work, and it never sat well.

"I think so, at least she hasn't said anything," Abbie said. "Anyway, Amir, you seem like a nice guy."

McG just snickered, he knew Amir was in for it, and for the moment the attention was off of him and Hannah.

"So tell me, you don't drink. Now, as a Muslim, does that mean that you don't..." Abbie hinted around.

Amir choked on the water he'd been drinking at her question.

"Sex, Amir. She wants to know about sex." Joseph supplied.

"Thanks for the explanation, I think I could have gotten there on my own," Amir said once he'd managed to redirect the water that stuck in his throat.

"Well?" Abbie asked as she gestured at the air with her hands inviting him to answer.

McG just doubled over laughing. Dalton and Jaz weren't far behind.

* * *

Ok, just want to get some thoughts from all of you.

A ton of people have been asking for Amir to have a little fun and I've been torn because technically speaking that doesn't really fit with who he is.

Considering what we've seen it stands to reason that his beliefs are very strong, with that comes a lot of lines in the sand that he probably wouldn't cross (Obviously we know he prays, doesn't drink, so logically he isn't going to jump into pre-marital sex).

I guess what I am asking all of you is do you care? I'm thinking no since everyone seems to be fully on board with the idea that Amir needs some loving based on comments here and on AO3. Plus, I guess we are suspending beliefs already with Dalton/Jaz and Hannah/Joseph...

So, what do you think? What do you want to see?

This is not to say anything happens in Montana, but it could...or it could happen at another time...or not at all. I'm not going to throw my cards on the table in terms of where I think I might go, because I do like surprising all of you when I can, but I would definitely love your input on this particular case. I certainly would like to give you what you want to some extent.

FYI, if I do go down this road it will not be part of third fic. I just don't have the time to dedicate to that right now and honestly, it's really hard to write these two fics that run on the same timeline as it is. It would just be an underlying theme threaded into the two fics that are already going.

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts in advance.


	13. When Love Takes You In

I had a productive morning while I was supposed to be editing my book. Needless to say, my book is still unedited but NEW CHAPTER!

The song at the beginning is about adopting an older child. I thought it was fitting given Abbie's penchant for bringing everyone into her life like long lost children. Especially the ones that maybe didn't have a mom like her.

Anyway, we're going to go on a little adventure and see what is going on in Amir's head. No Dani (or anyone else) just yet...

Work Safe Chapter here...

* * *

 _When love takes you home and says you belong here_

 _The loneliness ends, and a new life begins_  
 _When love takes you in_

 _When Love Take You In - Steven Curtis Chapman_

* * *

When McG walked into the bedroom about an hour later, Hannah was sleeping on her side with the sheets resting low on her hips and her back exposed to him. She looked exquisite with the moonlight spilling over her skin.

He closed the door behind him and stripped down as he made his way to the bed crawling in behind her while trying hard not to disturb her.

It didn't work as she turned and curled into his body seeking out his warmth.

"Hi." She whispered sleepily.

"Hi, pretty girl."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"About an hour. Not long." He told her as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.

"Was it brutal?" Hannah asked.

Joseph laughed, "No. It was nothing that I haven't done to Top and Jaz. I can handle it, though mom is plotting to blow up Amir's personal life."

"Uh-oh. That sounds like it could be both uncomfortable and entertaining." Hannah offered.

"Yep. Though I grew up with one of the women she wants to introduce him to, and she's a great girl."

"Oh yeah," Hannah said with interest. "And your mom never set you up with her?"

"Dani?" He asked. "No. She would never have had the chance. We've known each other forever, and she was my first Jaz."

"I don't understand."

"You know that person in your life that everyone wants to date, but for some reason, you immediately recognize them as a partner in crime, a friend, or even a sibling type of relationship. I adore Jaz, but the idea of kissing her is just..." He shuddered in apparent disgust. "No. And that's how I feel about Dani, too. She's pretty, and she's fun, but you'll see when you meet her, she's just not my type."

Hannah laughed, "And what is your type?"

"Mmmm, tall, brunette, dark, mysterious eyes, big heart, killer curves," He said as he swept his hand over her hip. "Funny, intelligent, full of life, and never afraid to challenge me. My type is very specific, though it took meeting you to really figure that out. Turns out there is only one woman for me, and I'm looking at her."

"I know what you mean. For me, it's your big heart that caught me up in your thrall, but that smile and your easy demeanor certainly held my interest. The abs, and this beautiful ass, those don't hurt either." She laughed as she slid her hand over his butt. "Actually all of those physical things might have caught my interest first. But then I got to appreciate your big heart."

"I love that sound. I want to make you laugh every day." He whispered as he swept her hair over her shoulder and ran his fingers across the scar on her neck making her shiver.

"I'm happy. You make me really happy." She told him as she leaned into his touch.

"That makes me feel better than anything, and you already have the power to make me feel so good." He told her as he sipped at her lips like she was the finest scotch he'd ever tasted.

She was better.

"The first time I laid eyes on you I wanted to bend you over and fuck the shit out of you. When I got you to my room, and you shared your past with me, I wanted to hold you and protect you."

"Then you knocked those fears over like a paper wall, and it was the bravest thing I'd ever witnessed. After that, I just wanted to make you feel beautiful. And good, I wanted to make you feel really good, too."

"Oh, you did. You definitely delivered on all of that." Hannah shared.

"I led with my attraction, but somewhere along the way, my head and my heart took the wheel. But you know what?" He asked.

"What?"

"I think I knew you were going to be different the moment I met you." Joseph shared.

"I knew you were exactly what I needed when you backed off every time I showed you the fear that had been my only companion for a year and a half. You never once looked at me like I wasn't worth the trouble. You looked at me like you were trying to understand. Like you wanted to cradle that fear in your hands and lay it to rest. At that point, I don't think I could have stopped myself from falling head over heels in love with this big-hearted man and your larger than life personality." She told him as she laid her hand over his heart. "Then, you really did fuck the shit out of me, and I don't think there's a woman out there who can resist a man that can hold her heart with care _and_ give her multiple orgasms."

Joseph laughed and leaned in for a kiss as he said, "It's my pleasure."

Hannah couldn't help marveling at the man who was staring down at her with such adoration in his eyes.

"I made a lot of impulsive decisions in my life with regard to women. I wasn't always discerning, and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a moment of hesitation once I figured out that you had a painful secret, and I knew that even when we were sitting at dinner that night." Joseph started. "I watched you pull at the collar of your shirt when you felt uncomfortable; I noticed the way your eyes turned down when you felt like a personal barrier was breached. I thought that you deserved better than me. It was almost enough to keep me away from you. Almost."

"No. Joseph..." She protested as she laid her hand against his cheek.

"None of that mattered though. When you pulled at that collar or cast your eyes to the ground, all I wanted to do was make you smile. Make you forget everything that caused the doubts that shadowed this pretty face." Joseph told her as he let his thumb sweep over her cheekbone. "I could see that you'd been hurt, but I think what I found really attractive is that in spite of that, you never shied away from something that made you uncomfortable. You went right back to a job that kept that pain front and center; you let new people into your life, and fearlessly let me see all of you no matter how much it scared you."

"It scared me to death, but not knowing what it felt like to have love, to share a physical connection with a man again, that scared me more. And truth be told, I knew I would regret not spending that night with you for the rest of my life." Hannah told him as she let her hand coast aimlessly over his skin.

"At the time, I thought that was purely because of the physical benefits I knew you could offer, but deep down, I think I knew then that you were the one man who could anchor all of the emotional burdens I carried. You are the kind of man who will stand beside me when I'm strong, and hold me up when I falter, I know that now." She said as her eyes got a little misty.

Joseph pressed her back to the bed as he leaned in and gave her gentle little nips and kisses to her lips and chin before he said, "Hannah, I am your shadow. I will always be there when you stand in the sun, and I will surround you completely when darkness falls. Always."

This man never ceased to amaze her. Hannah suspected Abbie bore a lot of the credit for making him so open to his feelings, so real, for that she needed to make sure credit was given. Tomorrow maybe.

Tonight, she just wanted to make love with the man who would one day be her husband.

This time, it was soft and gentle, all lingering touches, and breathless kisses.

It was perfection.

* * *

Joseph was lying on his back with his arm over his eyes as he tried to catch his breath. He was listening to Hannah as she did the same, but in the midst of a deep breath, he couldn't miss the way her stomach growled.

"It seems like we forgot to eat dinner." He said as he turned towards her. "Want me to go see what we have in the kitchen?"

"No, I want to come."

"As I recall, you did several times. That's how we got into this predicament." He joked as he stood and pulled on his jeans.

Hannah stood and pulled on his boxers that were sitting on the floor and started to pull on his shirt when she saw a flannel robe hanging on the back of the door.

"Is that yours?" She asked as she pointed to it.

"Yep, mom must have moved all my stuff from the loft over here. I swear she's a gypsy or a fortune teller. She just knew that it was time for this to be home." He said as he held the robe out before wrapping it and his arms around her from behind while he secured the belt.

"I can't believe you never stayed in the house before now."

"It just felt empty. I loved it. I built it with everything I wanted, but I just couldn't bring myself to call it home."

"And now?" Hannah asked.

"It's home if you're in it. Though I think anyplace could be. DC, here, wherever you are is where my home will be." He told her as he led her down to the kitchen.

Joseph set her on the counter and opened the fridge before he pulled out some orange juice, a container of eggs, a little goat cheese, and some vegetables. He couldn't make much, but Amir taught him how to make a mean omelet. It was mostly against his will, but now Joseph thought he owed his friend a thank you.

He poured two glasses of juice and handed one to Hannah before he gulped his down. He rinsed the glass out and went back to the fridge to pull out a pitcher of filtered water and filled his glass. He did the same for Hannah once she'd finished hers.

"I needed a little boost; we expended a lot of energy tonight." He joked as he set about making their omelets.

Just as he was handing hannah the first plate Amir walked into the kitchen.

"Sorry, I was just going to grab an apple or something." He said as he refilled a water bottle he'd brought with him.

"No worries. I was just making omelets. I could make you one if you want." Joseph offered.

"Mmmm. This is really good." Hannah mumbled around a bite of her Omelet.

Joseph turned to Hannah and said, "I can't cook to save my life, but Amir has been trying to broaden my horizons, so you can thank him for that."

Hannah just smiled and gave Amir a thumbs up as she continued to enjoy her meal.

"Would you like one?" Joseph asked again.

"Sure. Why not. I don't think I really ate dinner. Your mom was issuing the inquisition."

Joseph laughed, "She's a mother hen, and you my friend are officially one of her little chicks now. Consider it a high compliment."

Amir laughed.

"But, all kidding aside, if you want her to back off, I can talk to her. Or you can, don't be afraid to tell her to cut it out if she oversteps, I promise you won't offend her. She would never intentionally try to make you uncomfortable. She just wants all of her little chicks to find happiness." He said as he turned another omelet onto a plate and set it before Amir. "And for all of us to make lots and lots of little chicks of our own. That, too."

"No, she doesn't make me uncomfortable," Amir said as Joseph gave him a look of skepticism. "Ok, maybe a little, but really I'm just not used to a mother figure that is so open. My mom is really closed off. Even before my sister died."

"Abbie is never closed off. When most kids my age were getting the awkward sex talk, my mom was showing me diagrams and medical textbooks with the female anatomy. I mean sure she told me all the usual things, but she also told me that if a woman was willing to climb into my bed that it was my duty to make sure she came first, and often. Then she handed me a bunch of condoms and told me to have fun." Joseph told them as their mouths hung open.

"What, you're having a hard time believing that. Have you met Abbie?" Joseph asked.

Somehow, Hannah could totally picture it. Abbie McGuire was one of a kind, and she couldn't help feeling just a little grateful because she was the main beneficiary of the knowledge Abbie had bestowed upon her young son.

"How old were you?" Amir asked once he shook off his shock.

"Twelve-ish."

"Wow. My parents just told me not to have sex until I was married." He told them with a laugh.

"And is that a rule you plan to follow through on?" McG wondered.

"I don't know. Back then, I always thought I would, but after my sister died, and because of what we do...I'm not saying that I plan to sleep with a lot of women, but I also don't want to have regrets. My sister never got to know love. She never got to have a first kiss, get married, have sex, babies."

"Yeah, I get where you're going," Joseph said as he flipped his omelet onto a plate and sat down beside Hannah.

"I want to find love, and get married, and I want to follow my faith, but at the same time, my life could end tomorrow. So, it's definitely something I think about." Amir shared.

"Have you never..." Hannah started before she thought she was overstepping. "Sorry. You don't have to answer that."

"It's okay. You don't live with these guys without getting comfortable sharing intimate details of your life, and theirs." Amir started. "No. I haven't had sex. I'm not exactly a monk, but to this point, I haven't found anyone that I cared enough about to even consider it."

"But you think that you would?" Joseph asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. I guess if a woman is special enough to make me consider it, I'll cross that bridge then. My beliefs are important to me, but I've watched you and Top fall, and I've seen the way Preach is with his wife. I know that someday, a woman might walk into my life and force me to see another side of things. Seeing how happy all of you are, I'd have to be stupid not to open myself up to finding that." Amir told them.

"And while my parents no doubt hope that I'll one day marry a good Muslim woman, that may not be the woman that captures my heart. If that were the case, it would be naive of me to think that she would just conform to my beliefs, I know that I would have to be open to hers as well. At any rate, none of that has come to pass just yet, but suffice it to say I'm not looking through a lens that's only got one focus. If my sister's death taught me anything, it's that life is short." Amir said as he stood and rinsed his plate.

"And if Preach taught me anything it's that love finds you, you don't find it. I don't want to miss it because she doesn't fit into the box I was told she should fit in. My beliefs are strong, but I don't want to live a life where they can't bend. Then I'd be destined to live the life of my parents, and there isn't much love there. That's not enough for me."

"Fair enough," Joseph said.

"I'm going to let you two get back to it...whatever _it_ is. I'm off to bed." Amir said as he headed to the guest room off the kitchen.

Abbie must have made sure he was settled in. Joseph had been a little preoccupied when they arrived that afternoon.

"Goodnight Amir." They both said.

"Goodnight." He said as he smiled and closed the door.

A moment later, Amir popped his head back out and said, "By the way, thanks for the omelet. Glad one of you has actually been learning."

Joseph laughed as Amir closed the door again leaving them alone once again.

* * *

The next morning, Joseph woke up to an empty bed with a smile on his face as he thought about kneeling before Hannah with that ring in his hand.

It wasn't planned, but it was perfect.

Joseph got up and turned on the shower as he stood rubbing his fingers over his beard while he looked in the mirror. He knew Hannah loved it, but he usually shaved it off when they weren't deployed. It was just easier when they were on active duty, but sometimes he missed the routine of shaving.

It was weird he knew, but it was a home ritual. Like taking hikes along the creek that ran across the back of the property, or riding one of the horses through the snowy fields. It just made him feel like he was home.

Plus, he thought Hannah might find some benefits to his smooth skin or a little close stubble.

Fuck it.

This was happening.

If she hated it, he could grow it back in a hurry.

* * *

Joseph was sleeping soundly when Hannah woke up, and she just couldn't bring herself to wake him.

So, she went down to the kitchen hoping to make breakfast for everyone, but she found Abbie had already beaten her there.

"Can I help?" Hannah asked as she found Abbie laying bacon on two sheet racks set over sheet pans before parking them in the oven.

"Sure, I'd love the help. Do you like to cook?" Abbie asked.

"Love to. My parents are from Colombia, and I remember growing up my mom, all three of my aunts, and both grandmas would all be in the kitchen on Sunday mornings making arepas, and frying homemade chorizo and eggs to go with reheated rice and beans from dinner the night before." Hannah shared.

"Mmmm. We'll have to try that some morning while you're all here. It sounds delicious." Abbie said as she cracked eggs into a blender.

Hannah smiled and said, "It is. I'd be happy to make it, maybe we can go to the grocery store later today."

"Sure, that'll give us a good excuse to spend some time together, too. I'd love to get to know the woman who has so clearly captured my son's heart."

"The feeling is mutual. I'm not sure how much Joseph has told you about my past, but he came into my life when I needed him the most." Hannah shared as she started to peel and slice some pineapple and melons that were on the counter.

"He told me you used to do field work, and based on the way you flinched when I touched you the other day, I gather that there is a story there. But your secrets are yours to share when, or _if_ you are ready, and Joseph would never betray your confidence. But I'm betting you already know that about my son." Abbie told her as she gently ran a hand over Hannah's arm.

"I do. He's a pretty remarkable man, and based on what I know that's due in large part to the fact that he has a pretty unique mom. It's hard to miss how much you mean to him, and Dalton and Jaz as well. I hope that one day you'll view me as one of yours, too." Hannah said with a warm smile.

"Oh honey, you became one of mine the second that boy told me he loved you. That is literally the only prerequisite to earn a place in my heart." Abbie told her as she smiled and held out her arms for a hug.

Whatever hesitation Abbie had been expecting, Hannah didn't show it.

She just stepped into her arms and reveled in the acceptance as she said, "I'd given up on so many dreams, but your son came into my life and turned the color back on. He reminded me that I am not a part of the scars that mar my skin, they are just a small part of me. A part of me that he loves."

When Hannah stepped back, Abbie glanced at her neck. She'd noticed the way Joseph rubbed his fingers over that mark, and how his lips always seemed to find it.

"I'm not ready for you to see them all, but I need you to know that they are no longer a harsh reminder of a terrible time in my life. Now, they are like the lifelines that cross your palm because they brought me to Joseph. He gave me the strength to step out of the shadows of my past and live in a world of full color again." Hannah said as she traced her fingers over her own palm.

Abbie had tears in her eyes as she listened to Hannah talk about her baby boy. She'd wanted so many things for her son, but most of all she'd wanted him to have love. If she'd hand picked the love of his life, she knew she couldn't have done better than the beautiful woman standing right in front of her.

"Mom, are you crying?" Joseph said as he came around the corner.

"No. I'm just a little bit in love with your fiancee, that's all." She said with a smile and a wink. "And look at you handsome."

Hannah turned around wondering what had caught his mom's eye and nearly choked on her own tongue.

"Uh, uh. Um." Hannah stuttered as she stared at his clean-shaven face.

"It'll grow back." He said as he watched her swallow hard.

Her hands found his skin just a second later and he closed his eyes as they explored his jaw and her thumb rubbed over his lower lip.

"Kiss me." She whispered.

Joseph smiled at her and pressed his lips to hers as her hands continued to explore his smooth skin.

"Do you hate it?" He asked.

"Mmmm. I love." She murmured for his ears only.

"You two are absolutely adorable," Abbie said breaking the spell just as Dalton and Jaz rounded the corner.

"Oh thank god, I can smell bacon. We're going to need something to cut through all this sweetness." Dalton said as he waved a hand at the pair.

"Right, because whatever you two got up to in the loft by yourselves last night was entirely PG-13 I'm sure." McG countered.

"Oh, absolutely not. It wasn't sweet either. It was smoking." Jaz offered as she leaned in and lightly bit Dalton's lower lip and ran her hands down over his ass.

The group fell into laughter as Hannah gave Joseph one more kiss and went back to helping Abbie with breakfast so that she wasn't late for her shift.

Amir turned up right as the strata came out of the oven and poured himself a cup of coffee before they all sat down for breakfast.

"Amir, do you think maybe I could talk you into driving me to the hospital this morning. I'd love to have a little one on one time with you, and then you all can have the extra car for the day. I can get one of the girls to bring me back after shift."

"Sure. I'd be happy to." Amir told her.

He appreciated that Abbie made no effort to hide her intentions. He knew she was up to something, but he also knew that she wasn't going to try and trick him, and more importantly that she clearly wanted to talk to him.

That was more than his own mother seemed to want from him most of the time.

* * *

Once breakfast was cleared, Abbie and Amir headed out while Jaz, Dalton, Hannah, and Joseph made their way down to the barn. It was about seven, so he knew his mom had already fed the horses. He grab their halters and handed one to each of them.

"Let's get them out to the pasture, then maybe we can all go for a hike when Amir gets back." He said as he haltered the two mares that his mom loved so much and started to head out to the pasture behind the barn. "Top can you grab the big chestnut, he has to go by himself, he's kind of a prick."

Dalton laughed, "Are you trying to tell me something?"

McG laughed, "Just that I don't want him to manhandle the girls. He has no manners and he really likes boobs."

Dalton laughed, "So he's the horse version of you."

"Not quite, he comes up a little short between the legs." Joseph fired back.

Dalton just laughed as he grabbed the big gelding who immediately went into his shirt pockets and shoved him with his big head when he found nothing of interest.

The girls followed with the last two horses, a big grey gelding with doe eyes and an easy demeanor and a smaller palomino mare that nuzzled gently into Hannah's neck.

Joseph had pastured the first three when Hannah rounded the corner giggling as the little mare huffed against her neck and nuzzled her cheek.

"You've got my favorite girl." He cooed as he walked up to them.

"She's lovely."

"Yeah, she is...Pal has great taste in humans." He told her as he nuzzled her neck from the other side.

Hannah laughed, "I was talking about the horse."

"I wasn't." He said as he rubbed his now smooth skin against her neck.

It still made Hannah purr, so she definitely didn't hate it.

* * *

"Thanks for driving me Amir. I won't keep you long." Abbie said.

"I'm happy to take you to work Abbie."

"So, I wanted to make sure that you know you can tell me to back off at any time. I know I can be a little...overbearing sometimes."

Amir laughed, "It comes from a good place."

"It does." Abbie agreed. "Anyway, I'm not going to set you up tonight. I mean yes, there will be some pretty nurses there, but don't feel like you're obligated..."

Amir cut her off, "I'm sure that you have already deduced that I have some pretty firmly held beliefs, but I've watched all the people that I care about find something that I know I want for myself. And I've lost too many people to be so rigidly bound in my beliefs that I can't bend. I don't know how that plays out in the future, but I know if I am lucky enough to find a woman to care about, who cares about me, it will be worth looking at all perspectives. Not just the lens of my own beliefs."

He smiled at her when he finished, he knew she was trying to understand him, and that meant a lot to him, not a lot of people saw him as anything more than a threat because of his beliefs and his appearance. He'd spent his life silently keeping those same people safe from a distance, but they only ever saw one thing when they looked at him. Not Abbie though. The world would be a better place for everyone if more people spent the time to learn about those around them like Abbie McGuire.

"Joseph was right; you are a very intelligent man. I have no doubt that your instincts will lead in the right direction whatever path you follow." Abbie said.

When they pulled up to the main entrance, Abbie leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek, "I'm glad that you came out to Montana. I know that it can't always be easy to be surrounded by a bunch of couples, so I'm sure you had some reservations."

"I did, but at the end of the day, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet the famous Abbie McGuire."

"Well, I hope that I've lived up to the hype." She laughed.

"And then some." He said as she hopped out of the car and shut the door.

* * *

Joseph left a note for Amir to meet them down at the barn, so they decided to give Preach a call while they waited for him to return.

"McGuire, how's it feel to be home?" Preach asked as he answered the phone.

"I was going to ask you the same question," McG said.

Preach had been released from the hospital the day before and Deputy Director Campbell had given them access to the DIA's plane to get him and his family back to California.

"The sun on my face and the sounds of the ocean are better than any medicine." Preach told him. "So, what's going on in that mountain paradise of yours? The whole team there?"

"It's beautiful here. I'll let you talk to them, but I wanted to tell you something first." Joseph said.

"Yeah, good news I hope. You didn't get Amir killed on some wild mustang or something did you?" Preach asked.

"Nah, but I was thinking of taking everyone for a ride tomorrow, so there's time." He joked. "All kidding aside, yesterday I asked Hannah to marry me, and for some reason, she decided to say yes."

"McGuire, baby, love is like a cherished photograph that you've lost, if you search too hard you'll never find it, but if you forget about it for a moment, it will turn up in the most unexpected place. You were both lost, but from the moment you two laid eyes on each other, I could see you'd both been found." Preach mused.

Joseph laughed, this is why they all loved Preach.

"Thanks, man, I'm really glad to be talking to you about life and love. This moment just wouldn't feel right without you being a part of it." McG said.

"I'm happy for both of you."

Dalton poked his head around the corner and shouted, "Come on, we all want to talk to Preach, quit monopolizing him."

Amir walked up a moment later and McG switched the phone to speaker as they all fired off questions about how Preach was feeling, when they could visit, and how his family was doing.

The call had lasted only about ten minutes, but everyone felt lighter afterward.

Preach sounded good.

Stronger.

And he was back to dropping his philosophical wisdom on the team. For as much as they rolled their eyes, things just didn't feel right without it.

* * *

Which would you prefer, finding out what Jaz and Dalton got up to in the loft, and some time to themselves (TLAS chapter)...or meeting Dani (CMJ chapter)?

Let me know and I will try to accommodate.

As always, thank you so much for your comments and support.


	14. Friends

I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up, the last ten days or so have been super hectic and I was getting about ten to twenty minutes at a crack to work on it. All the stopping and starting really slowed things down :) Hopefully, things will slow down this weekend and I'll be able to get another chapter up.

I haven't decided whether it'll be another chapter of CMJ first or TLAS. But, hopefully, I'll be able to get both updated before Monday!

Anyway, it's time to meet Dani. You'll get a little of her backstory as well as her history with McG and a little more about Amir's past, too. Also, I updated my Pinterest page with a few new images that include Dani... search username kelo7777

* * *

 _When I'm in trouble, need some help_  
 _And I feel all by myself_  
 _Know exactly who to call_  
 _I know to make it all right_  
 _I got all my friends with me_

 _Friends - Meghan Trainor_

* * *

Amir was on the patio with McGuire and Top as both Hannah and Jaz headed into town to pick up Abbie and head to the grocery store for the barbecue they were planning.

The three of them were setting up the fire pit and getting the grill going so that they could get everything ready as soon as the girls returned.

The weather was gorgeous with the sun still hanging on the horizon and just a slight breeze with temperatures well above average for a Montana fall, so they decided that they could at least start outside until the sun went all the way down and the temperature started to drop.

As Amir was stacking wood in the fire pit, McGuire was attempting to let him in on Abbie's plans for the night.

"You do realize there could be a bunch of nurses here tonight and they're all coming to meet you." McGuire joked.

"What? That's ridiculous. Why wouldn't they be interested in you, or Top?" Amir asked somewhat horrified.

"Well, they all know me, and I'm pretty sure they're all sick of hearing about how adorable my mom thinks Hannah and I are," McG told him with a laugh. "And you know that she's talked about it all day. Heck, she's probably been talking about Hannah since I first mentioned her name."

"You two _are_ pretty freaking adorable." Dalton said as he pretended to gag and rolled his eyes. "Besides, after an hour in town, you two are going to be glued together like it's been nine years since you last saw each other."

McG huffed a laugh. He couldn't argue that point; it was probably true. If Hannah was in his orbit, he was never far.

"Fine, but Dalton is a good looking man, and they don't know he's not single."

"First off, that implies that Jaz wouldn't separate any woman that touches him from her hand. Second, Top, I don't know if you've looked in the mirror, but you look like you've been mauled by a baby bear. I mean Jesus, is the furniture okay?"

"Oh yeah, the furniture's fine. I owe you a couple candles though."

McGuire laughed out loud, "What the fuck happened to the candles?"

"It's probably better if you never know the answer to that question," Dalton told him with a laugh.

* * *

Hannah and Jaz headed out to the hospital to pick up Abbie, and the plan was to head out to the grocery store afterward to prepare for dinner. They hadn't been expecting anyone else, but when they pulled up at the main entrance, Abbie walked out beside a petite blonde woman with a tiny little clone sleeping at her hip.

"Dani was just getting off her shift, so she's going to tag along. And this is Evie." Abbie stated to the two stunned women in the car.

"Nice to meet you!" Hannah said as she stepped out of the car to give Abbie the front seat. "I'm Hannah, and that's Jaz."

"I've heard a lot about you. Jaz and I have met once before I think. In fact, I heard that you and Dalton finally got together from Abbie. I swear she's been shipping the two of you harder than my thirteen-year-old cousin ships Dean and Castiel."

"I don't even know what that means," Jaz said with a laugh.

"Neither do I, but as she explains it, you'd be hard-pressed to disagree," Dani said with a laugh.

"Well, I'll take that as a good thing then," Jaz told her.

"And you, I understand you have Joe completely smitten," Dani said with a bright smile.

Hannah just smiled as she felt her cheeks heat.

"That she does. He was falling all over himself pretty much from the moment he met her." Jaz interjected.

"Well, I would have paid to see that. The mighty Joe McGuire falls." Dani said with a laugh.

"So, tell me about this little beauty," Jaz said as she pointed to the sleeping child in her arms.

"Evie is two and a half. I had her while I was living in Casper where her dad was an ER doc." Dani said.

Jaz glanced at Abbie with confusion.

Before Jaz had a chance to ask the question that was hanging on the tip of her tongue, Dani said, "He passed away when she was about seven months old while he was on an ambulance run. They said it was black ice. Anyway, I stayed for a little while, but as she got more mobile it just got to be more than I could handle on my own, so I came home where I'd have a little more of a support system."

"I'm sorry to hear that, I can't even imagine how hard that must have been," Hannah said. "She looks just like her mama."

"That she does. And she's two and a half going on forty." Dani shared as she smiled down at the child.

"So, you have family here?" Jaz asked.

"Well, I have my aunt, and obviously my thirteen-year-old cousin who is good for a few hours of babysitting here and there, and I have Abbie, who has always been like a second mom to me. My parents passed away right after I started college."

"Oh wow, that had to be such a tough time to lose your parents," Jaz said.

"It was, but my mom had been battling MS for much of my life. Dad was a Marine, and a doctor, so he was gone a lot of the time growing up, and I think he carried a lot of guilt over not being there more for mom, and for me...but losing my mom was more than he could handle and his health declined quickly after she died. It was like broken heart syndrome I guess. But, as awful as it was, I'd been preparing for it all my life practically. And it's part of the reason I became a nurse. Well, that, and Abbie." Dani said with a smile.

"I don't mean to pry, but I gather Joseph doesn't know about your daughter," Hannah stated.

"You know, I always planned to tell him, but every time I talked to him he was in some kind of war zone or putting his life at risk, and I was always afraid to take his mind off the job with my worries. He's always been the guy that takes on everyone else's burdens." Dani said.

Hannah could see her reasoning, but she still thought that Joseph would have wanted to know. It was clear that he was fond of Dani even if they hadn't been in as close contact as either of them might have liked in the last few years. He would have done whatever he could have to ease whatever burdens she carried, Hannah was certain of that.

It was just the kind of man Joseph was.

* * *

The girls returned from the grocery store with Dani and Evie in tow. They stopped at Abbie's first to drop off a bag of groceries and Dani, and Evie stayed behind to help her put everything up as Hannah and Jaz took the rest of the bags up to the main house.

As soon as they pulled up, Joseph, Dalton, and Amir came out to help unload the car.

"What's up? Abbie drive you crazy enough to ditch her at the store?" McGuire said as Jaz got out of the driver's seat.

"No, she picked up a few things for her place, so we dropped her off there to put everything up," Jaz answered as she gently shoved her elbow into his side.

He hefted several bags into his arms and headed to the kitchen with Amir following suit as Dalton grabbed up the last two bags and threw an arm around Jaz's shoulder.

"You look like you're keeping secrets. What gives?" Dalton asked.

"We may or may not have picked up a couple of strays," Jaz said as she gave him a wide-eyed smirk.

"Strays, huh? Care to elaborate?" He prodded.

"Dani...and her daughter," Jaz said rushing out the last part.

"Wh..I didn't know she had a daughter." Dalton stated.

"Apparently no one did. Except Abbie. She's pretty dang cute though." Jaz shared.

"Yeah, how old is she?" Dalton asked.

"Almost three I think. She's a miniature version of Dani."

Dalton set the bags on the counter as everyone made their way back out towards the driveway where there was a loud commotion.

A tiny little blonde whirlwind came flying up the gravel drive before she stumbled only to be caught up in a pair of unfamiliar arms just before she faceplanted onto the rough surface.

As she ran up the driveway, Dani had been preparing for the giant crocodile tears clinging to her lashes and her lower lip starting to quiver. Instead, she heard that melodic laugh that always made her smile. Especially given that the man who had caught Evie was a total stranger.

Evie normally didn't take to strangers, especially when they happened to be men.

"Whoa, easy there," Amir said as he swung her through the air like she was Supergirl.

After a moment, Amir set her on his hip and caught her curious glance.

"My name is Amir. I'm friends with Abbie, looks like you are, too." Amir told the little girl as he pointed towards Abbie and a pretty blonde who had to be the girl's mother given the resemblance running up the hill.

"Dat's my fwiend Miss Abbie n Mama." The little girl said as she stared at him trying to evaluate whether he was safe.

"She's a good friend." Amir agreed. "What's your name?"

"Ebie." The little girl stated. "I o-most fwee."

Amir smiled as she held up three fingers proudly.

Before Amir had a chance to respond, Abbie and her mother caught up with her.

"Evie, you scared me half to death," Dani said sternly.

"I sowwy mama."

Amir handed the little girl to her mother.

"Thank you..." Dani said realizing she didn't know his name.

"Amir."

"Ah, so this is the infamous Amir," Dani said with a laugh.

When she realized she still hadn't introduced herself, she blushed and said, "I'm Dani Shaw, and you've already met Evie. Thank you by the way. Any day that doesn't end in bloodshed is a good day."

Amir laughed, "Well, at least you have a combat medic on hand. And two nurses."

"Oh no, I'm a basket case when she gets hurt. That would have been on Joe or Abbie, one hundred percent." She laughed as they walked up the rest of the hill towards the audience that had gathered by the front door.

Amir watched Dani as she talked to McGuire and Dalton and introduced them to Evie who kept interrupting her to say, "Mama, I go pay wit Amiw."

Dani laughed and set her down so she could go back to her new friend.

"Amir is a good guy," Joseph told her as she watched her trot off to a virtual stranger with thinly veiled hesitation.

"I know that he must be or he wouldn't be here with all of you. But, one day, you'll have a child, and you'll struggle to let them out of your sight, too." Dani told him.

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," Joseph said as he glanced at Hannah who was over near Amir and Jaz.

Dalton laughed as Amir got down on the ground and spoke to the little girl on her level. He never really thought about how Amir might react to a kid, but then he couldn't help but think about Amir's little sister who he'd lost when he was still basically a kid himself.

It wasn't so much that he thought he'd be terrible with kids, it was just harder to combine the lethal aspects of the man he knew with the softie that was currently walking towards them with Evie on his shoulders as she held on to his hair like it was an everyday occurrence.

"Would it be okay with you if we went down to the creek. She wants to show me how she skips rocks." Amir asked her.

Dani knew all too well that this was a part of her routine when she came to Abbie's house. And she hoped that Amir wouldn't mind too much since he seemed to be the object of her daughter's obsession for the moment.

"Why don't we all head out to the patio." Jaz offered putting everyone at ease.

"Sure. Let's go kiddo." Dani said as she smiled at her daughter who looked completely at ease with this group of mostly strangers.

Dani found it odd, but sometimes she thought Evie was a better judge of people than she was.

* * *

Dani laughed as she, Joseph and Hannah sat in the grass while Amir stood with his khaki's rolled up to his knees in what was certain to be frigid water so that Evie could show him how she threw rocks into the water like they were lead, or as she called it 'skippy rocks.'

"You know, I think Amir might be the first man she didn't immediately run away from. It's a little weird." Dani said.

"Amir is good at putting people at ease. Apparently, that translates to small children, too." Joseph shared.

"I honestly was prepared for this to be a short night, ever since Morrisey, she's been a little put off by men in general."

Joseph stiffened as he turned towards her and asked, "He didn't hurt her did he?"

"No, but he yelled at her, and I know she probably saw him hurt me and yell at me more than I'd like to admit. That's why I finally left him. I didn't want her to grow up thinking all men were like that, or that it was okay to let men treat her like that when she gets older." Dani said.

"That's good. He still bother you?" Joseph asked.

"Mmm, a little. Nothing you should worry about." Dani hedged.

Joseph was certain there was a lot more to the story, she wasn't quite the same confident, free spirit he remembered, but he didn't want to push her too much. Maybe it was having a daughter and losing Evie's fahter, but he thought there was more to the Morrisey story than she was letting on. He'd hardly seen her in the last several years, and he wasn't sure Dani would be receptive to him sticking his nose in her business anyway. Besides, he was certain if he needed to get into her business Abbie would let that cat out of the bag sooner rather than later.

Joseph decided to go push his mom on that subject, "Can I get you two another drink?"

"Sure," Hannah said as she handed him her wine glass.

Hannah waved at Dani's glass signaling that she needed to finish up before handing her glass to Joseph as well.

When he walked into the kitchen, his mom was talking to Jaz and Dalton as they formed burgers and she set up the accompaniments.

"So, mom...tell me about Morrisey." He said as he pulled a bottle of white wine from the fridge.

"She isn't going to tell you anything," Abbie said.

"I know, that's why I am asking you," Joseph told her. "I'm not asking for all the gory details, I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate that, but is he a danger to her?"

"She doesn't think so, but I'm not so sure," Abbie said with concern washing over her.

"What makes you say that?" Dalton asked.

"Well, he swore that he'd up-end her life until she had no choice but to crawl back to him. At first, I thought it was an empty threat, but a couple of weeks ago her credit cards were frozen. Then, the delivery method on her paychecks was altered inexplicably from direct deposit to a P.O. Box outside of town. Finally yesterday, she came home to an eviction notice." Abbie told them.

"And you think this is...what's his name...Morrisey? Is he capable of that kind of thing?" Jaz asked.

"I didn't think so, but why would anyone else target her. Dani's as sweet as can be and would never hurt a soul." Abbie said.

"Well, what's she going to do. Can she fight the eviction?" Dalton asked.

"Yes, but it might not matter because her landlord is Morrisey's cousin. I'm not sure she should be staying there." Abbie shared. "I was going to have her stay at the farmhouse. I've got the room, besides it's lonely out here when it's just me."

"If she does, I need you to start using the alarm system I put in. And maybe close the gates at night, that wouldn't hurt." Joseph told his mom.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I just hate that I've never felt unsafe out here, and now we're talking about gates and alarms." Abbie grumbled.

"Humor me," Joseph said.

"Fine," Abbie said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Is she staying here tonight?" Dalton asked.

"Yes. She brought overnight bags, and I figured we could get the rest of her stuff moved over this week or put in storage until Dani can find a new place free of ties to that idiot." Abbie shared.

Joseph filled the two wine glasses and grabbed a beer for himself before he headed into the laundry room and grabbed a couple of towels. He was certain Amir would be feeling the cold by now.

* * *

When Joseph walked out onto the patio, he handed Hannah and Dani their glasses just as Evie went sprinting towards the kitchen to get a juice from Abbie. He handed Amir a towel as he sat down in front of the fire pit they'd lit earlier trying to knock the chill out.

"I can't believe you stood in that water for a half an hour. It's frigid in July; I can't even imagine how cold it is now." McG told him.

"It's freezing, but you try saying no to that," Amir said with a smile as he pointed towards Evie.

"I'm fairly certain that I'd have stood in that water, too if she'd asked. So, it's a good thing she only has eyes for you, my friend." McG laughed.

Hannah and Dani sat down beside them a moment later, and Dani said, "Amir, are you sure you don't have kids?"

Amir laughed quietly at her question.

"No. But, my sister was a lot younger than I was, so I spent a lot of time with her when she was about Evie's age," Amir said with a far off look in his eyes.

Joseph wanted to intervene before the conversation went further, but he couldn't think of any way to segway into the hard truth before Dani spoke up.

"I bet you're close with her," Dani stated with a smile.

Amir smiled sadly and said, "She died when she was 14."

Dani looked horrified.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't..." Dani offered as she laid her hand on his knee in a show of comfort.

"You couldn't have known. It was a really long time ago." Amir told her as he laid his hand over hers for a moment before pulling back.

"Oh, he probably learned how to handle kids by dealing with the rest of us." Joseph joked as he tried to lighten the mood.

"That's true," Amir said with a conspiratorial smile.

A moment later, the rest of the group rolled out onto the patio, and the conversation was forgotten.

Dalton and Joseph manned the grill as Amir made sure everyone had a drink. It ended up being just Dani as Abbie had neglected to invite any of the others once she met Amir, though she failed to share that fact with the rest of them.

A couple of Joseph's high school friends stopped by for an hour, but they didn't linger as they all had wives and kids to get home to, so by eight things had died down as they all sat around the fire and talked.

Evie yawned, and Abbie stood and took the little girl from Dani.

"Why don't I take her over to the farmhouse. She can sleep in the guest room, and you can take the other one when you're ready. I'm sure you'd like to catch up." Abbie offered as she grabbed Evie's shoes and the bag with Evie's toys and things.

"Thanks, Abbie," Dani said.

"You be good for Miss Abbie, I'll make sure you're all tucked in before I go to sleep, okay baby," Dani whispered as she kissed her on the top of her head.

"M'kay mama. Wuv you."

"Love you, too little bug," Dani said.

Dani watched as Abbie headed through the house on her way back to her little farmhouse. Abbie had always been there for her growing up, but since she'd returned to Montana with Evie, she was a godsend.

She'd always been happy to help out if she took an extra shift and needed someone to look after her daughter.

It was something her mother would have loved to have done for her, but even when Dani was a teenager, Abbie had taken on that role in a lot of aspects because her mother simply couldn't. She'd been confined to a wheelchair before Dani was ten, and by the time she was 14, her mom had a full-time caregiver.

Abbie had been the person she could talk to about everything. As a nurse, she understood what MS did to a person, and how hard it would be for her as she watched her mom battle every day. Abbie had also done her best to educate Joseph on her mother's disease, so he'd been a pillar of strength for her as well.

Joseph and Abbie weren't family by blood, but they were family all the same. It's why she felt bad for not telling Joseph about Evie before now.

She wandered into the kitchen when he got up to get another drink and said, "You know, I never intended to keep Evie a secret, I was just shell-shocked, and then Morrisey..."

"I get it. I do. I just wish I could have been there for you." Joseph said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"You've always been there for me." Dani reminded him.

"You know you are welcome to stay here. I know mom has you set up at the farmhouse, and she told me a little bit about what's been going on. You'll be safe here, and it just so happens that we're pretty good at finding people that like to do this kind of shit. If you let us, I think we can help you get your life back on track." Joseph told her.

"Joe, I can't ask you to do that," Dani said.

"I don't recall you asking, I offered," McG said as he hugged her a little tighter. "This is in our wheelhouse and guys like Morrisey, they tend to back off when they actually have to fight someone who can fight back."

Hannah came in a moment later with Jaz and told him to get lost as they put on a pot of coffee. Joseph kissed Hannah soundly before he made his way back out to the patio with Amir and Dalton.

"So, I never figured you to be such a kid magnet," Dalton said.

"It was like riding a bike. I remember dragging my little sister around the pool in a little dragon innertube like she was waterskiing when I could barely keep my head above the water. The sounds of her squeals of joy still ring in my ears like it was yesterday every time I think about her." Amir said wistfully.

He smiled and continued, "And when that little girl laughed on the driveway, those memories came flooding back. I keep them locked away, but sometimes, it's nice to think back to a time when things were simple. When she was still alive."

"I can't even imagine," Dalton said.

"No? I'm betting you can. You were what 15 when you were forced to leave your sisters?" Amir asked.

"Yeah, but I wasn't leaving them thinking I would never see them again," Dalton said.

"No, what you went through was far worse. I lost my sister, but I know what happened to her. I know that she died instantly, and she probably didn't even know what happened. That it was probably so fast, she didn't feel any pain. You don't have those assurances." Amir said.

"I spent most of my life trying to convince myself that they were little and cute and someone must have adopted them right away. I forced myself to believe that they had a perfect childhood and that they went to good schools, and had better lives than I did growing up. It was the only way I could cope with losing them. By the time I was old enough and had the resources to try and find them, the trail was cold." Dalton shared.

"We're going to find them," Amir assured him.

"And we're going to stop this Morrisey tool from messing with Dani and Evie, too," Joseph added.

It was clear that Amir had been let in on what Abbie had shared with them earlier.

He let Dalton and Joseph in on the plans that were already running through his head to track Morrisey. The next time he talked to Preach about Dalton's sisters, Amir was planning to see if he could track the electronic fingerprints they all knew would be there with regards to Dani's credit cards, and her paychecks, too.

It seemed unlikely that he'd be some mastermind that was adept at covering his tracks, and why would he, it's not like Morrisey could have known that Dani would have friends that could unravel the web he'd caught her up in. They just needed to make him aware of the fact that he wasn't the only one who could deal in fear to get what they wanted.

When the girls came out, Hannah leaned down and whispered something to McGuire before she bid everyone goodnight. It was no surprise that he wasn't far behind her.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Dani said as she watched him wrap his arms around her before he swung her up into his arms and carried her into the house.

"Neither did we." Dalton, Jaz, and Amir all said at once.

Dani laughed, "And what about you two? Last time I saw you, you were both so oblivious to the connection that was so obvious to the rest of us."

"I don't think I was ever oblivious to her. I was just too bound by rules to dare let myself admit how I felt." Dalton answered to Jaz's shock.

"What changed?" Dani asked.

"Mmmm. I don't know when it changed, or if I just couldn't hold up my defenses any longer, but I was having a hard time sleeping one night and wandering the halls when I heard her. She was having a nightmare. I didn't even really think about it; I just walked in thinking she'd wake up, and we'd talk. When she didn't wake up, I thought about waking her, but before I could talk myself out of it, I just crawled into her bed and pulled her into my arms." Dalton shared.

"After that, it was like trying to keep a magnet from a metal object," Jaz added.

"They still tried. It was painful to watch." Amir offered with a laugh. "Sitting in a room with them was like holding a metal rod in a lightning storm. We all felt the charge between them, but they just kept trying to unring that bell."

"How long did that last?" Dani laughed.

Amir watched her in that moment, Evie looked so much like her, and they both had this melodic little laugh that made him smile.

Dalton and Jaz glanced at each other and laughed before they gave the same answer, "A couple weeks."

"Yep, all it took was Dalton getting injured," Amir said.

"Oh gosh, I hope it wasn't too bad!" Dani said.

"No. A nasty concussion, some scrapes, but turns out that was Jaz's kryptonite." Dalton answered.

"Yep, after that, it would have been like trying to blow out a stick of lit dynamite." Jaz laughed.

Amir laughed out loud, and everyone turned towards him. They'd all felt like he held back at times, so it was surprising to hear him laugh so freely in that moment.

"What? That was just a spot on analogy." Amir said as he smiled at them.

Jaz just winked at Dalton and said, "Well, now that you said that, I think I might have left a candle burning in the loft."

"See what I mean?" Amir said as Dalton stood and held a hand out to Jaz.

"Good night you two," Jaz said as Dalton just nodded towards them.

"Good night," Dani said.

"See you in the morning," Amir added.

"You know I only met them the one time I think, but I always thought they were meant to be," Dani said as she watched them go.

"Yeah, I felt that way from about the first week I was with the team, but I always thought he'd keep her at arm's length because he's her commanding officer." Amir shared.

"Yeah, Joe explained that to me back then, but I'm one of those dumb girls that thinks love isn't a multiple choice question. You get one, and when it's real nothing can stop it." Dani mused.

"I don't think that's dumb at all," Amir said.

Dani smiled as she tried to read him. Normally, she thought she had a pretty good read on people with Morrissey being the one exception, but Amir was a mystery. She knew he was loyal to his friends and sweet to her little girl, but she was struggling to get a read on Amir himself.

She wanted to ask him a bunch of questions, but Dani didn't feel like she knew him well enough to give him the inquisition, and she really wasn't sure she was ready for whatever Abbie had in mind anyway.

Jonathan Morrisey had done a number on her, and she was hesitant to let anyone into her daughter's life after that. Dani would do anything to keep her happy and keep whatever drama that touched her life far from Evie.

"You know, I think I'm going to head back to Abbie's and tuck Evie in, but it was really nice talking to all of you. It's been a long time since I've had a night with friends." Dani said.

"I'll walk you down," Amir said. "Just let me grab a flashlight."

Amir grabbed the flashlight from the laundry room and led her out the front door. She'd wanted to tell him it was fine, but as they stepped beyond the porch lights, she realized it was pitch black, and it was a long way from the lights on Abbie's porch.

Dani shivered as a breeze blew through the tall grass, and Amir was quick to hand her the flashlight as he draped his coat over her shoulders. She knew it wasn't a 'move'; she was certain that he didn't operate like that, it was just one more kind gesture that seemed to be reflex for Amir.

"Thank you," Dani said.

"Anytime," Amir answered.

When they got to the porch, he pulled open the screen and waited until she let herself inside. Amir was about to head back up the drive when she popped out and said, "Wait."

Amir turned as she held out his jacket.

He walked back towards her to retrieve the jacket when she surprised him with a quick peck on his cheek.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"For being nice to my little girl. She needs to know that there are more good men in this world than there are bad."

Amir brushed her blond hair from her cheek with a gentle touch as he smiled and said, "You both need to know that there are good men in this world."

With that, he turned and walked back up the drive. If he'd turned back, he would have seen the tiny little smile that almost made its way to her pretty green eyes.

* * *

Dani walked back into Abbie's house and looked in on her daughter. She pulled the covers tight and kissed her cheek before heading to the door.

She had almost closed the door all the way when Evie said, "Mama, I pay wit Amiw tomowwow?"

Dani laughed, "We'll see baby."

"I bet he wikes pancakes." She offered.

"We'll have to ask him tomorrow. Get some sleep little bug."

"Night mama."

With that, Dani closed the door and headed into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

"I think she likes Amir," Abbie said as Dani nearly jumped out of her skin.

Dani gasped as she whirled around towards the hallway to find Abbie smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"You scared me to death," Dani whispered.

"Nah, you look fine to me. I'm a nurse; I'd know if you were dead." Abbie joked as she walked into her kitchen and poured a half glass of wine for each of them and sat at the breakfast bar.

"You're not funny at all, but I don't know what I'd do without you," Dani said as she fell into one of the chairs beside Abbie.

"You're a tough little lady; you'd find a way for that little girl the same way I did with Joseph," Abbie said as she rubbed a hand over her back.

"I don't know how I ever let a guy like Jonathan into my life; I need to do better for her," Dani said.

"Just don't shut yourself off from the possibility of finding someone because of her. Be careful, not closed off. Not all men are bad. I wish I'd taken that advice when I was your age, but I didn't have anyone to tell me that." Abbie shared.

"I appreciate it. I don't want her to grow up thinking that all men are like Jonathan. So, I promise, I'll try and keep an open mind." Dani said as she grasped Abbie's hand.

"You know, Evie has a pretty good instinct. Maybe you should pay attention." Abbie said with a smirk.

"Amir. She likes him." Dani smiled.

"He's a good man," Abbie said.

"Who happens to be leaving in less than a week," Dani added.

"I'm not saying you need to start something up with him; I'm not sure he's the kind of guy that would even consider starting something he couldn't finish, but I think he's a guy that's worth getting to know." Abbie offered.

"We'll see," Dani said as she finished her glass of wine and got up to wash it before grabbing a bottle of water.

"Dani," Abbie said as she started for the guest room.

Dani turned and waited, "Don't hate me, but I told them about what's been going on. They can help you; it's kind of what they do."

Dani walked over to Abbie and wrapped her in a tight hug, "I knew you wouldn't be able to keep that to yourself, and it's one of the things I love most about you. I wish I didn't need the help, but I'd do anything to keep that little girl from growing up having to look over her shoulder like I do now."

"Love ya kiddo," Abbie said as she hugged her back.

"Love you, too," Dani said. "Get some sleep, that little bug will be up before the sun."

Abbie laughed as she watched Dani leave.

Once the guest room door closed, Abbie looked up at the main house and watched as the porch light went out. If she had any say, Dani was going to sleep in tomorrow, she and Evie had a breakfast date already planned.

* * *

So, there was a lot crammed into those 6k+ words I know. You didn't really think I was just going to have Abbie set Amir up and it was all going to be easy, did you?

There will likely be another chapter or two that focuses on Dani, Evie, and the group. And she'll likely remain part of the conversation once Amir leaves MT, but I don't think I'll be writing a whole story based around them. They'll just continue to develop their friendship on the sidelines of this story if that's okay with everyone.

I think it'll be a good way to keep Amir as part of the story ahead and another reason to keep Preach involved which are both pluses in my book :)


	15. Get to You

Thanks to Linda for giving me a hand with this monster. Sometimes an extra set of eyes can be really helpful! I do so appreciate it.

We are sticking with Amir, Dani, and Evie here, though McG and Hannah play into it as well. There is a possibility that I may spin Amir and Dani off as well, but I haven't decided yet. I am kicking the idea around but I'm not sure whether I can feasibly run three stories at once. So for now, they'll just run as a part of CMJ.

* * *

 _Run away, run away from love_  
 _What the hell are you so scared of?_  
 _You walk away when you've had enough_  
 _Of trying, of trying_  
 _Girl, there's always gonna be some pain_  
 _A little sunshine, a little rain_  
 _It doesn't mean it ain't worth it babe_  
 _I'm trying, I'm trying to get to you_

 _Get To You - Michael Ray_

* * *

Amir woke to the giggles of a little girl and for just one moment, he was back in his family's kitchen making a giant mess with his sister Dasia at around four-years-old trying to make breakfast in bed for his mom. He'd been around nine.

Amir didn't remember what his mother thought, or if what they'd made even tasted good, but he remembered that joyous little giggle like he'd heard it just yesterday.

He rubbed his eyes as he got up to see what prompted those giggles. Once the fog of sleep cleared, he realized that it was not his sister, but Evie who was one adorable reminder of a much happier time in his life.

A time when he didn't worry about bombs or guns; they weren't even on his radar.

It was a time when he still thought he could be a doctor or a professional football player, not a covert operative who walked into the lion's den on any given day.

The draw of her laughter was hypnotic because he spent so much time surrounded by some of the worlds worst atrocities. Amir had learned to appreciate the little things that would remind him there were good reasons why he did the things that he did.

So that a child like Evie could have the life that Dasia never would. And to ensure that young mothers like Dani never felt the pain that hollowed out his mother.

Amir shook off the memories and decided to focus on the present as he got up to brush his teeth and throw on a sweatshirt before he walked out into the kitchen where he found Abbie and Evie making a glorious mess while they went about trying to make pancakes for everyone staying on the farm. So far, they'd made a mess and not much else.

It was a big task, and the mess was epic.

Evie had flour dusted on her cheeks and a bright smile, and there were bowls of blueberries, sliced bananas and chocolate chips that she had clearly been dipping into for quality control as she knelt on the bar stool across from Abbie.

It was written all over her chocolate smudged smile.

"Morning," He said with a yawn as he rubbed his fingers through his hair.

"Amiw!" Evie squealed as she bounced up and down on the stool.

Before she could fall he hurried over and grabbed the back of the stool, "Easy there little monkey, don't want you to fall!"

"I no faww. Amiw catch Ebie." She laughed as she launched herself into his arms.

"Well, it didn't take you long to win that little munchkin over." Abbie joked as she smiled at the pair of them.

"I guess not," Amir said. "Can I help you?"

Amir desperately wanted to get to work containing some of the mess before everyone else woke up. It was driving him crazy.

"Are you any good at making pancakes?" Abbie asked.

"I happen to be very good at pancakes," he said as he grabbed a handful of blueberries letting Evie steal a few before he popped the rest in his mouth.

"What are your favorite pancakes?" He asked her as he set her back on the stool and took the whisk from Abbie.

"Nana chippies." Evie declared.

"Banana chocolate chip? That's an excellent choice." Amir told her with a serious smile as Abbie sat down beside Evie and watched him clean up the chaos they'd created in short order.

"Mama wikes boo-bewwy," Evie told him.

"Where is your mama?" He wondered.

"She seeping." Evie shared.

"Dani's been burning it at both ends. I thought she could use an extra hour." Abbie confirmed.

"Well, we'll just make some blueberry pancakes for your mama when she wakes up." Amir offered.

"Ebie bwing bweakfast in bed?" The little girl asked.

Amir looked at Abbie not sure what to think of that idea.

"If mommy isn't up by the time you finish breakfast, maybe you and Amir could bring her breakfast in bed," Abbie said with a wink.

The woman was a menace, but she had a good heart.

There was no way he was going to wake Dani up; he'd just have to find a way around it.

With the mess cleared, Amir went to work finishing up the pancake batter for a small army. Once it was ready, he set it aside and turned the oven to a low temperature to hold the pancakes and preheated the griddle.

Amir would kill for a kitchen this well appointed in the bunker. Of course, that would never happen, so he'd just have to enjoy this kitchen while he was at McGuire's home.

When everything was set, he dropped several tiny pancakes onto the griddle and dropped a banana slice in the middle surrounded by mini chocolate chips. Evie's eyes lit up at the cute little pancakes as he turned them over.

"For Ebie?" she asked as he flipped four mini pancakes onto a plate for her.

"Butter and syrup?" Amir asked.

"Pease," Evie said with a huge smile.

Amir took a little cup from the cupboard and filled it with a bit of syrup then drizzled a tiny swirl of melted butter into it and set it beside Evie's plate.

She looked at him with confusion until he took one of her little pancakes and swirled it into the cup and held it out to her.

Evie's licked her lips as she took the pancake from him and swirled it in the buttery syrup with a delighted smile.

He laughed knowing she would smell of maple syrup for the rest of the day as she happily fed herself pancakes.

"Miss Abbie, Amiw make yummy nana chippies."

He got to work making a variety of pancakes for everyone else while Evie watched with rapt attention picking up another little pancake.

Abbie just smiled as she watched him in his element. She knew this was only a sliver of who Amir was as a person, but it was a really good indication of the type of man that he was.

As far as she was concerned any man that would make kid-sized banana pancakes for a child that wasn't his, or even his responsibility, and understand her on the level that Amir did was exactly the kind of person who could rebuild Dani's trust.

Winning Evie over would go a long ways towards accomplishing that, Abbie thought. And maybe, just maybe he'd find exactly what he needed, too.

Abbie had always believed that sometimes the best things find us when we aren't looking.

* * *

Joseph heard Evie squealing with delight downstairs, and he was certain there was a cute overload going on in his kitchen, but he couldn't tear himself away from the beautiful woman who was still sleeping peacefully at his side.

Hannah was a knockout; there was no mistaking that in his mind, but this softer version with no makeup and mussed hair was breathtaking. Her long lashes feathered over her skin and a subtle pink flush tinted her cheeks and lips which were curved up in the corners as she snuggled in closer to his side.

Joseph wanted to wake up to Hannah like this every morning. The feeling of her warm breath against his neck, the smell of her hair surrounding him and the little hum of contentment she gave every time his lips brushed against her forehead.

These moments were pure perfection that he knew would get him through a lot of lonely nights that were still in front of them.

The other thought that he knew would stick with him was one of her curled into his side with a gentle curve to her belly. That was something he'd rarely considered before now, but it was rarely far from his mind since they'd arrived in Montana.

Every corner of the home he'd built was made to have children running through it.

Having Evie there only brought that thought to the forefront.

And Joseph felt in his gut that Hannah would be a wonderful mother.

She was kind, and gentle and gave so freely of herself. Joseph knew she'd opened up about some of the horrors of her past to help Jaz after Tehran, and Hannah didn't have a moment's hesitation to be by his side when he needed her after their last mission.

He was confident Hannah would share whatever she needed to with Dani to help her through whatever she was keeping so close to the vest as well.

"Mmmm. How long have you been awake?" Hannah whispered as she pressed a kiss to his shoulder.

"A while." Joseph shared.

"You should've woken me up," Hannah said as she glanced up at him.

Joseph gave her a heart-stopping smile and said, "While I love you awake, I just couldn't bring myself to disturb you when you looked so peaceful. You're gorgeous when you're all warm and soft in my arms. You're always gorgeous, but..."

Hannah leaned up on her elbow and pressed her lips to his in a slow, sweeping kiss.

"You know, I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point, I started waking up with a smile on my face again. I'm pretty sure that's all your fault." She told him with a sweet smile.

"Mmmm, you'll have to punish me for that transgression later." Joseph joked.

"I'd love to, but we're probably about ten minutes away from a full house, and I could use some coffee," Hannah said as she stole one more kiss.

Joseph watched as she walked across the room into the bathroom. When she came out, she wore a pair of leggings, the tank she'd slept in and a big, cozy sweater that made him want to drag her back into their bed and snuggle into her.

"Nuh-uh, if you do what you're thinking right now we'll be doing the walk of shame with a full audience." Hannah admonished.

"Mmmmm, I don't see a problem with that," Joseph said as he sat up on the edge of the bed and slipped his hands under the sweater and her tank so they could rub against the skin of her lower back.

His index finger settled into the deep groove of one of her scars, and she sighed.

Joseph wanted so badly to linger and see how many other pleasured sounds he could draw from her, but he knew she was right, so he pulled on a pair of flannel pants that sat on the foot of the bed and stood in front of her.

"I know how much you hate wearing shirts, but don't you think your mom would appreciate it?" She asked.

"Oh please, she stopped caring whether I wore a shirt when I was eleven." Joseph laughed.

"Well, maybe you could put one on for me then. I don't want to be drooling over breakfast." Hannah said with a sweet smile.

He gave in and grabbed a well worn t-shirt from his closet and pulled it over his head.

"Come on, before I forget my manners and drag you back to bed," Joseph said as he wrapped his hand around hers and led the way down to the kitchen.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't have any kids?" Abbie asked as she watched Amir flip another couple of mini pancakes for Evie in dramatic fashion, earning him a high pitched squeal of joy from the little girl.

"Does Joseph count?" Amir joked as he set the pancakes on Evie's plate.

Abbie laughed out loud just as the man in question plodded down the stairs with Hannah a few steps behind him wrapped in a bulky sweater and looking like she'd just been roused from a deep sleep.

Surely her son had something to do with that.

"Any coffee in this joint or are we only catering to this tiny bundle of cuteness?" Joseph wondered as he mussed Evie's hair while she giggled.

"Coffee is ready," Abbie said as she wrapped her arms around her son and got up to get some mugs down.

Abbie was in heaven with Joseph in the house she'd always hoped would become a home for his family one day.

Watching him make Hannah a cup of coffee and Hannah's sweet little smile that told Abbie he'd done it just right only made it more real.

She knew she was different when he'd told her about Hannah the night he'd returned from his last assignment that she was the one. She could hear it in his voice, Hannah was important.

In all the years since Joseph had discovered his affinity for beautiful women, he'd never once mentioned anyone special, let alone brought someone home to meet her.

Hannah was definitely the woman that was going to be the mother to all those grandbabies Abbie had dreamed of for so long.

She knew it for certain the moment she'd witnessed her son staring at Hannah as they rode the escalator toward her in the airport the other day.

Hannah wasn't just some woman; she was the _only woman_.

"I see it didn't take long for Amir to take over, what'd you do mom, make a huge mess?" Joseph asked as he grabbed a handful of chocolate chips.

"I would never," Abbie said as she attempted to sound offended.

"Didn't take her long to figure you out, super spy," Joseph said as he put an arm around Amir.

"Nah, I just decided Evie would get fed faster if I took over." Amir offered.

"Speaking of, where's Dani?" Joseph said as he looked around.

"Seeping," Evie answered.

"She's been really stressed out; I just wanted to give her a morning to decompress." Abbie offered.

Joseph nodded as he took in the concern he saw on his mom's face.

He knew that Dani was in a tough situation that was complicated by her need to protect her daughter, but they were all more than ready to stand beside her and stand up for both of them to make that happen.

In fact, Joseph didn't plan to leave until he was sure that Morrisey was out of their lives for good. When he looked at the adults in the room, he saw the same resolve on their faces.

Amir was a little nervous about waking Dani, he didn't want to catch her in a situation that might make her uncomfortable, and a strange man entering her bedroom was precisely that kind of scenario.

Evie had no clue how awkward that situation could get.

Amir and Evie walked down the driveway with a tray carrying a plate full of mini (at Evie's insistence) blueberry pancakes and buttered syrup like he used to make for Dasia when his parents would leave them to get ready for school on their own.

Evie was vibrating with happy energy; she'd never gotten a chance to do anything like this for her mom, Amir was certain.

He still hadn't figured out how they'd do this without making her feel like he was invading her privacy, but he was going to find a way because he knew that Evie was proud of her effort to do something nice for Dani.

They walked into the house almost silently as Amir set the little tray on the counter and poured the carafe of coffee into a mug from Abbie's kitchen. His hope was that he could rouse her enough that his presence wasn't a total surprise and then he'd slip out before things got uncomfortable.

Amir took a deep breath as he picked up the tray and carefully followed Evie to the room her mom was sleeping in. He knocked gently on the door as Evie tried to quietly push it open.

He'd been prepared for awkward, but that wasn't what was waiting for them.

Dani was curled up in a tight little ball with her fists held defensively in front of her face, and he could see fresh bruises on her wrists. He could also see that she was shaking as she whispered, "No. Please just let me go. Please."

He set the tray on the dresser as Evie started to cry, "Mama...No cwy."

Amir moved closer as he pulled Evie into his arms hoping the little girl didn't startle her mom who was clearly having a nightmare.

Forget awkward; this was a good sprint past that.

'Dani," Amir said as he gently placed a hand on her arm.

Amir could feel Evie's hot tears against his neck and the heat of her skin as she pressed her face against him and cried for her mama.

It broke his heart.

"It's okay Evie." He said in a calm voice hoping to reassure her.

"Dani, wake up, it's okay," Amir said in a hushed tone as he shook her gently.

He felt her go rigid before she opened her eyes, and then she shot up in the bed with a panicked gasp and said, "Evie, where's Evie."

"She's right here; she just got a little scared you were having a nightmare," Amir told her gently as he tried to keep his eyes on her face.

Dani wasn't dressed inappropriately, but Amir just felt like he was intruding.

"Mama," Evie cried as she reached for Dani from over Amir's shoulder.

"Oh, little bug it's okay, mama just had a nightmare," Dani said as she tried really hard to collect herself and reached for Evie.

Evie clung to Dani with one hand and Amir with the other as she sniffled and cried, "Amiw and Ebie bwing boo-bewwy pancakes."

"I'm sorry, this didn't go like she was hoping. I was trying to just set the tray down for her, and I was going to leave, but then..." Amir said as he smiled apologetically.

When he noticed the bruises again, he reached out before he thought better of it and brushed his thumb over one of the angry purple marks.

"These are fresh." He whispered.

Dani looked alarmed as her eyes flashed from his to Evie.

Amir settled Evie beside Dani and took off the sweatshirt he'd been wearing and handed it to Dani. She gave him a sad but thankful smile of appreciation as she pulled it on. It was a couple sizes too big, but she didn't care. She just didn't want anyone focusing on the bruises, at least not with Evie in such close proximity.

"Would you like some coffee?" Amir asked as he got up and carried the tray back.

"Evie said blueberry was your favorite." He said as he tried to figure out a way to extricate himself from her bedroom.

"It is. And I see that she convinced someone to make her some nana chippies." Dani said with a smile as she rubbed some chocolate from her syrup sticky chin.

Amir had tried to clean her up, but she was so excited to deliver her breakfast in bed to Dani that he could hardly get her to sit still.

"Yep," Amir said as he pulled off the little foil tent that had been keeping her pancakes warm from the plate.

"Mini's mama." Evie declared as she proceeded to show Dani how she could dip them in the buttery sweet syrup.

Within seconds, Evie was covered in syrup again and chewing away at a blueberry pancake with a smile on her face. She had all but forgotten what she had been crying for; only the salty little tracks remained on her cheeks and Amir's neck as a reminder.

It was funny how quickly kids could switch gears, but Amir could see that Dani was rattled. Her skin was pale, and her hands were still shaking. Whatever she'd been dreaming about, it remained fresh in her mind.

Dani brushed it off and tried to enjoy the breakfast Evie was so proud of.

"Thank you for this. It was a nice surprise, and it was nice to sleep a little late." Dani said as she glanced at the clock that read 9:30 am.

It was nearly two and a half hours later than she normally woke up since Evie was an early riser, but she didn't exactly feel rested given the uneasy feeling that was roiling in her gut, and she knew it was unlikely Amir would just let this go.

When they heard Abbie come in the door, Dani forced a smile on her face and looked at Amir trying to telegraph to him not to tell her what happened.

"Mama wiked bweakfast!" Evie told Abbie.

"She did? Why don't you help me carry this back up to the house and tell me all about it." Abbie said as she picked Evie up and winked at them and collected the tray.

Ordinarily, they'd both have been uncomfortable with her meddling, but they were both thankful for the reprieve. Neither one of them had been looking to get into the nightmare with Abbie while Evie was still there.

As soon as the front door closed, Amir gently pushed the sleeve up her arm and carefully examined the marks on her wrists. Dani flinched as his fingers skimmed over the bruised and abraded skin cursing herself for the goosebumps that erupted under his touch. The awkwardness had dissipated for Amir as he found himself consumed by concern for Dani. This was a more pressing matter than they thought as Morrisey was clearly not keeping his attacks on the periphery, he had confronted her face to face.

"I'm sorry that this happened," Amir said softly distracting her from the embarrassment Dani had been about to wallow in.

"Sorry, why are you sorry?" She wondered.

"I. I just hate that any man feels like it's within his rights to put his hands on you," Amir said as he continued looking her over until he saw another bruise on the back of her neck and a spot that looked like a little section of her hair had been literally yanked out.

Dani shivered as his fingers slipped under the hair at the nape of her neck and Amir couldn't help the disgust that crawled over his skin. He'd taken it as pain or possibly even fear Dani knew, but that was easier for her than admitting to herself that she liked his hands on her skin. She wasn't prepared to deal with that realization just yet.

"We're going to put a stop to this," He told her as he tried to temper the anger that was festering beneath his calm facade.

Dani swiped at her eyes as she said, "I-I don't want Evie to live like this. I don't want her to see her mommy scared."

"You'll be safe here; we'll make sure of it," Amir said. "You need to tell us everything though."

"I know. Hannah and Jaz told me as much last night."

"Yeah, we were wondering what you ladies were whispering about last night." Amir joked as he attempted to lighten the mood, there was going to be plenty of time to delve into the darkness once they caught up with the rest of the team.

"Oh, I bet you were." Dani smiled, happily taking the bait and changing the subject.

It was the first smile that almost reached her eyes since she woke up.

"We figured you were gossiping about everyone's sex lives," Amir told her.

"Well, we did, except I have no...nevermind" Dani started with a blush. "Mostly we talked about Hannah's background, and she told me I needed to put everything on the table so that you guys could do what you do, whatever that is. Then Hannah said something about a cuddle date with Joe and that ended the discussion."

This time the smile did reach her eyes and Amir thought she looked angelic with her shiny blonde hair and her deep sea green eyes with a little color coming back to her cheeks.

"A cuddle date, huh? Is that what she was after?" Amir asked as he recalled Hannah stealing McGuire away upon returning to the group last night.

"It's a start." Dani laughed.

"With them, that's accurate." Amir joked.

"Yeah, I gather that they have a...healthy relationship," Dani said. "That's good. It sounds like Hannah's been through a lot. She showed me some of the scars, and it makes me feel a little silly to be worried about some bruises and pulled hair."

"Nope, you don't get to discount your injuries based on the severity." Amir scolded gently. "The monsters that do things like that have to start somewhere, and we're going to make sure that this guy doesn't escalate any further. Even if I have to follow you everywhere you go."

"Or one of us..." Amir added after he had a moment to think about what he'd said.

"I don't think that's necessary," Dani deflected.

"Well, we're going to sit down and go through everything that's happened so far, and then we'll figure out what is and isn't necessary. None of us are okay with you or Evie being at risk. This has gone on unchecked long enough. It's time this guy learned that it's not okay to prey on women or children in order to feel powerful." Amir said firmly.

Dani smiled hesitantly hating that anyone had to go to these lengths because she'd put her trust in the wrong man. It was a mistake she'd intended to avoid from that point on.

"Come on, let's go see what everyone is doing. No better time than the present to get this out of the way." Amir said as he stood and carefully helped her to her feet trying not to touch her wrists which were once again swallowed up in his sweatshirt.

Dani pulled on a pair of muck boots at the front door, and Amir stepped into his shoes before they both walked up to the house in a slightly awkward silence. Before he could open the door, she reached for his hand and said, "Thank you."

"For?"

"For not letting a bad situation get out of control this morning. For not judging me for my mistakes."

Amir pointed to her wrists and said, "This is not _your_ mistake. It's his, don't you ever blame yourself for that."

Dani cast her eyes down for a second, but she made a point to look him in the eyes when she finished, "Thank you for being so good to my daughter. Not a lot of men would hold a crying child without falling into a panic."

"Oh, the panic was real, but the need to comfort her was much more pressing. You should have felt my heart slamming in my chest though." Amir said as he tried to put her at ease.

"You are a good man. I wish I'd found someone like you before..." Dani said before she pushed through the front door.

Amir's heart broke because he could feel her sad resignation. She'd all but given up on finding any kind of happiness, and that made Amir's heart ache for her because he saw how love had changed McGuire. How it had healed Hannah and made Jaz and Top feel whole in a way that their upbringing never could.

He knew all about the marks family could leave on a person. His parents were good people but they'd lived by the rules their parents had set forth and were stuck in a marriage that was devoid of love. It may have been there at some time, but it evaporated completely the day Dasia died.

Amir knew that a big piece of his mother had died with Dasi. In his heart, he knew that any mother would lose a part of her soul when she lost a child. His father had as well, but he dealt with it differently.

His mother closed off; his father deflected and denied. For his dad, it was like his sister had never existed, and for that, his mother had grown to resent him. Maybe even hate him.

Amir had been raised to believe that following his parents rigid guidelines was the only life for him up to that point, but he'd taken Dasia's death in a completely different manner. First, he'd taken on blame. In his gut, he knew it was more than a kid should ever have to bear, but that didn't stop him.

But, once Amir had found his way into the world that took his sister, he knew that there was only one place to lay the blame. At the feet of the soulless monsters that built that bomb. That was when everything started to change.

Amir didn't immediately abandon the beliefs of his parents, that took time, and more life experience, but eventually he came to realize that happiness wasn't about checking boxes, or following rules.

And no matter how devoted Amir was to his beliefs he also knew that life was far too short to cling too tightly to every rule. He supposed that would disappoint his parents, but after all of the vile things he'd witnessed since his sister's death, he didn't want to give up on a single moment of happiness.

He truly believed that real love didn't see color, religion, sex, or one's standing in the world. Love just was, and he had no intention of letting that pass him by after seeing how much it had enriched the lives of his teammates.

His family.

They didn't share the same blood, but he knew now that the bond they'd forged was unbreakable. Amir also knew that it would continue to grow as they each found the people who made them whole. Amir didn't know if Dani could be that person for him, but he knew that he wanted to spend more time with her, and Evie. They both made him feel lighter, and Amir wasn't about to ignore that.

As he watched Dani walk into that room like she was making a death march, all Amir wanted to do was remind her that she wasn't alone.

Amir hesitated for a moment as he thought about how difficult things had been for her, and that she probably wasn't ready for anything new. He wasn't sure that he was what Dani needed, but Amir just knew that he needed a chance to find out what they could be.

Until then Amir offered her exactly what she needed right then, a friend. So, he caught up with her and took her hand in his giving it a squeeze and offering her his strength and support.

Nothing about this was going to be easy, but she wouldn't have to face it alone.

* * *

Anyway, hit the comments and let me know what you think about Amir/Dani and if you'd be interested in seeing a lot more of them or if you want them to just get some room here like they have been.


	16. Break On Me

Sorry for the delay, work has been really chaotic of late and it's left me little time to work on this. I'll continue to do the best I can to update as much as possible.

Also, just wanted to drop a warning, there are some triggers in this chapter. There are mentions of a physically and emotionally abusive relationship.

This chapter is Amir/Dani heavy but the whole team is involved. You'll get a deeper look at Amir's journey from a carefree teen to the man he is now and Dani's history with Dr. Morrissey (Jonathan). There will likely be one more after this that will focus on the two of them, then we'll get back to the rest of the team.

* * *

 _Break on me_  
 _Shatter like glass_  
 _Come apart in my hands_  
 _Take as long as it takes, girl_  
 _Break on me_  
 _Put your head on my chest_  
 _Let me help you forget_  
 _When your heart needs to break_  
 _Just break on me_

 _Break On Me - Keith Urban_

* * *

Amir sometimes felt like he'd lived three lifetimes, the one where he was happy and carefree. That was a time when he didn't understand how much could be taken from him in the blink of an eye. Before Amir knew that every choice he made had a cost.

Then there was the time after, when Amir calculated the price he'd pay for every move he'd made. In the early days, he moved without care through the underbelly of the world he used to know. It was a part of the world that he never saw until the day Dasia died on that bus.

After...That was the only world he saw. Everything was cast in gray and black, the colors he once knew bled onto the pavement and drained away where so many lost their lives along with his sister.

In his gut, Amir thought it should have been him. Dasi had so much talent that he knew was meant to be shared with the world and his one selfish decision had deprived everyone of the chance to see her and understand the joy she could bring with her music.

He was stuck in that place for a long time, taking chances with his life as if it was on loan and he was waiting for it to be repossessed.

Sometimes, he wanted it to be.

He wanted to die just so that he could close his eyes and release the pain that burned and clawed at his chest. That feeling never really went away, but helping bring down the monsters that fed on the souls of the innocent was a salve that gave him a tiny reprieve from the pain.

The third lifetime was still a work in progress, but it was one that was filled with hope. He'd found a calling working with Dalton and the team. Amir was no longer surrounded by darkness, but he still worked to right the wrongs in the world.

And he was no longer alone.

They were all misfits to some extent, but they accepted him. It had taken some longer than others, but the end result was the same.

Just a year earlier, Amir was a shadow lurking in the dens of men who took lives like most people took a drink of water. They had a thirst for shedding blood and causing mass destruction.

No one was safe.

Amir lived in that world for almost twelve years, that was a long time to live among the worst humanity had to offer, and every day he'd wonder if he'd given up so much of himself that he would become just like them.

It was a fine line he walked.

Too often he'd been forced to watch people die in order to maintain his cover, but he did his best to help the ones that he could.

Amir's only goal had been to save just one life. Every day, he set out to spare one mother the loss that his felt. If one mother got to see her son or daughter again because of him, then it was a good day.

The reality was that he couldn't save everyone. He tried, but Amir learned quickly that he had to take the small wins because dying for the cause meant the monsters would go unchecked.

That, he couldn't live with.

He didn't need recognition or a thank you, all that mattered was that an innocent person would get to live the life that Dasia didn't.

More often than not, they never knew they'd been spared. They just went about their lives the way that Amir had until that fateful day, never knowing how close they'd come to taking their last breath.

Unfortunately for Amir, it was a very dangerous way to live. He'd been forced to think on the fly and more often than not someone would die for the choices he made. But, he could live with one of the lapdogs of the terrorist groups he'd been tasked with infiltrating dying any day.

They died as traitors, going down for the choices Amir made. It was risky, because every life that was inexplicably spared drew eyes, and it got harder and harder to keep the scrutiny off of him and on one of the others in the cell. Often blame got misdirected and he watched as one of the others was brutally murdered by their own cell, but it was a dangerous game, and sooner or later Amir was the common denominator.

So, when the day came that Amir knew his cover was blown and there would be a price on his head he crept back into the shadows and infiltrated a new group far away.

This worked for years, but he wasn't stupid enough to believe it was a path he could continue on forever. Guys like Amir had two choices, die at the hands of the cell they'd infiltrated or walk away and never look back.

When he started his mission he was unaligned, inexperienced, and full of hate, dying seemed like a risk worth taking. But as the bitterness of Dasia's death faded, Amir learned to appreciate life again. It was what Dasi would have wanted for him.

So, when the target on his back grew too big, he walked.

Amir didn't know who he was without the CIA, but he didn't get a lot of time to worry about that because as soon as he landed stateside, he got the call from Dalton.

He'd been hesitant at first because he'd been working on his own for years, and Amir didn't like the idea of having to rely on a team. But, after meeting with Dalton and discussing the work that they did, he knew he needed to try.

At first, he struggled to work with his new team. Amir knew that he was replacing someone that they'd lost, but the details of how they'd lost him had been scant. It wasn't until a few months had passed that he'd learned of his connection to Jaz and the brutal manner in which they'd lost him.

That was when he started to understand he was not the only one uncomfortable with his new role.

Only then did Amir decide that full disclosure was the only way they could find the common ground that they'd been missing. So, Amir finally sat down and shared with his team how he wound up on the path he was on.

Dalton already knew, and he'd been forced to share his history with Jaz on a mission when tensions were about to boil over, but he knew they wouldn't truly understand until he told them what he'd lived through and how it had changed him from a selfish boy into the man they knew.

That was when the real bond formed. That was when they understood Amir.

Dasia had been his world, but like so many teenagers, Amir just wanted to go off and get into trouble with his friends. It never occurred to him that his choice would put his baby sister on a collision course with a terror cell looking to cause maximum carnage.

The reality was, the bus had been a dry run. They'd killed 55 passengers in an instant and killed or wounded about 35 others who were in the vicinity.

Dasia was murdered for practice.

That had taken a long time for Amir to wrap his head around.

The real carnage was planned for a sporting event about four months later. They'd intended to rig the player buses that would park beneath the arena. That happened to be underneath the largest sections of the stands on either side.

If successful, the body count would have been in the thousands.

Amir had spent the months after Dasia's death talking to investigators and trying to convince them to use him to gain access to the cell which they declined at first. He'd had no training, and he was just a kid, but they relented when they realized Amir was going to track the cell whether they worked with him or not.

They decided Amir would be far more useful to them if he were an asset than if he went rogue.

They'd been right. Amir had been the key to stopping the plot and bringing the men to justice. He'd managed to slip in unnoticed because he was precisely the type of kid they recruited.

Angry, violent, and looking for a purpose. Only his intention wasn't to claim as many victims as possible; Amir just wanted them.

Once that mission was over, Amir was lost. He didn't know who he was without that vengeance. The things he'd once wanted were no longer important to him. His family was fractured, and there was no returning to the carefree teenager he'd once been.

That life wasn't something he could pick back up like a book unfinished. All those old dreams felt empty to Amir.

That was when he'd been recruited. When he'd found his true purpose, the one that would start to heal the wounds he thought would never close. The hole left in his chest where Dasi once resided.

Eventually, that work led him to his team and once he'd laid bare his past to them, any barriers that still remained crumbled. Amir had also learned a little bit about Elijah's death and Jaz's bond with their former teammate that day.

* * *

That day had changed everything for them, and now as he walked into McGuire's kitchen hand in hand with Dani, he was certain that they would have her back just as they had his.

"It's okay, just tell us everything that you know. I promise we'll do everything in our power to put an end to this nightmare." Amir told her as he gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Amir needed her to put her faith in them, in him. They would put a stop to this; they just needed to know what they were dealing with.

"I don't know where to start," Dani said quietly as she sat down at the kitchen table surrounded by the team.

"Start at the beginning. How did you meet Morrissey?" Dalton asked.

"I met him when I came back to town. I was interviewing for a full-time nursing position. Jonathan was nice, good looking and charismatic. I wasn't looking for a relationship because it had been less than a year since I'd lost my fiance, Evie's dad, but Jonathan was kind to me, and more importantly to my daughter."

"Did he ever make you uncomfortable?" McGuire asked.

"No. In fact, Jonathan was always a gentleman. He would bring me tea when we were having a slow night and coffee on early mornings. Sometimes he would stop by the daycare when I was picking up Evie and offer to carry my bag to the car. Jonathan treated me like a good friend." Dani started. "He never made advances like he wanted to push me into a personal relationship, Jonathan was just there for me at a time when I was struggling to hold it together. I was a single mom who'd just lost the father of her child very abruptly, and I'd picked up and moved my whole life."

"How did everyone else feel about him? Did anyone ever warn you about him? Had anyone else seen any ominous signs maybe before you came home?" Amir asked.

"Not that anyone shared with me. Except for Abbie, she just kept saying he seemed too good to be true."

"Did she have anything concrete?" Hannah asked.

"No. But about a week ago, I found out that the nurse who I replaced had been in a relationship with Morrissey. Abbie had called me about the opening knowing I was considering coming home back then, but she wasn't aware of the circumstances behind the nurses' abrupt departure. They didn't know each other well, so it was as much a surprise to her as it was to me that Jonathan was potentially to blame." Dani shared.

"Did you know her name?" Amir asked.

"No, but I think Abbie probably knows. If not, she'd know who to ask." Dani answered.

"I'll ask Abbie later and see if I can't track her down," Amir said.

McG jumped in with his own questions, "So, when did things change? How did you end up in a relationship with him?"

"I'd been living in this tiny little apartment, and the landlord never fixed anything. One morning I had to shower at work because I had no hot water, and the heat hadn't been working. Jonathan noticed I had wet hair when he started his shift and asked what was going on and the weight of all of it just kind of crashed around me. I told him about my landlord and all the things that weren't working, and how I couldn't take another day like that, but I'd had no luck finding a better place." Dani said with obvious despair in her voice.

Amir was pissed off. He was sure that Morrissey had just been biding his time. He knew Dani was in a bad place and he was just patiently waiting for an opportunity to be her knight in shining armor.

"Let me guess; he just swooped in with a solution to all of your problems," Amir said.

"Yep. And I didn't see it because it was just such a relief. Jonathan's cousin owned a building that happened to have a vacancy, and the rent was reasonable. It really was too good to be true, but I was so desperate that I chose not to see it." Dani shared as her cheeks turned red.

She was embarrassed by her naivete.

"Dani, you were trying to take care of your daughter. It's not your fault that his motives weren't above board." Hannah told her as she reached across the table and grasped her hand.

"I know, but when I say it out loud, I just feel so stupid."

"Don't do that," Amir said. "Morrissey preyed on you when you were vulnerable. Anyone in your position would have jumped at what he offered with a young child to take care of. Besides, he hadn't even attempted to pursue a relationship with you at that point, right?"

Dani sighed and nodded. She knew what he was saying was true, but it didn't stop her from feeling like a fool.

"After I moved into the apartment, Jonathan would pop by unannounced. At first, it was to make sure everything was okay. Then, he offered to hang my tv, the next time he came by with take-out and a movie. Before I knew it, he was giving me a ride to work, rubbing my shoulders when he found me at the end of a long shift and asking me to dinner. After everything Jonathan had done, I felt like I knew him, like I could trust him." Dani said as she looked at the ground.

"How long before he first hurt you?" Dalton asked.

"Several months. Jonathan spent almost a year softening me up in the friend zone until I relented and agreed to an actual date. With Evie, I just wasn't open to starting anything with anyone. But Jonathan was patient. Or at least he pretended to be." Dani shared. "Then maybe another four months of dinner, a movie...short dates because it was usually my teenaged cousin that was babysitting, and she wasn't even in high school. So, I couldn't stay out late or for more than a few hours at a time. At first, he was very understanding." Dani shared.

"Until he wasn't?" Hannah asked.

"Until he wasn't," Dani stated. "He wasn't exactly mean, and he didn't hurt me physically at first, but he started making comments that made me uncomfortable on occasion."

"Like what?" Jaz asked.

"Things like, 'sometimes I wish I could have you all to myself without a kid at home.' Or, he'd make comments about how much time he'd invested in me. It wasn't so much mean, it just made me feel weird, but it wasn't anything that set off major alarm bells. Not really." Dani answered.

"And when did it turn physical?" McGuire asked.

"We'd been casually seeing each other for months, and I still hadn't slept with him," Dani said as a blush colored her face. "It wasn't that I didn't want to, but when you have a toddler, it's just not that easy to be spontaneous, and it's not like I had a lot of people who could keep her overnight. I mean Abbie would have, but I guess the fact that I never asked her to might indicate that deep down I knew something wasn't right."

Dani paused feeling a little embarrassed about what was coming, but she pressed on.

"Anyway, we were watching a movie, and things started to heat up but, Evie started to cry. When I started to get up, Jonathan freaked out and yanked me back down to the couch. I yelped because it hurt and Jonathan smiled as he squeezed my wrist a little harder before he let me go." Dani shared as she absently rubbed her wrist. "When I came out, he was gone. The next day Jonathan acted as if it had never happened, but I had a big purple bruise that said otherwise. So, I cut him off."

"But that wasn't it, was it?" Amir asked as he rubbed his thumb gently over the bruises beneath the table.

"No," Dani said. "After a couple of weeks, he followed me into the lounge and apologized, but I think he only did that because I froze him out and other people were starting to take notice. Jonathan told me that he was just frustrated and he wasn't used to having a kid around. In my gut, I think knew I should run, but I accepted his apology."

Dani closed her eyes realizing how stupid she must sound, but as she looked around, she didn't see judgment, she saw concern.

"And the next time it happened?" Jaz asked.

"The next time it happened, there was no mistaking his intent. We'd gone out to dinner, and Abbie was watching Evie, so we had no interruptions. When we were on the way home, he made a comment that made me uncomfortable. It made me feel like Jonathan felt I owed him sex because he'd put in the time, but that wasn't how I saw it." Dani said as a shiver broke over her.

Amir gently rubbed her knuckles with his thumb in a comforting manner as he encouraged her to continue.

"I made the mistake of telling him that," Dani said as she shuddered at the memory.

"Nope, it's not your mistake," McGuire said. "Every woman has the right to say no, I don't care how far things get. Only you get to decide what you are ready for, and any man not willing to abide by that..."

McG couldn't finish that thought, but Dalton did, "Is a piece of crap."

Dani laughed, but it sounded hollow.

She continued, "I told him that just because he'd taken me to dinner or helped me find a place to live, I didn't _owe_ him sex. When I realized I'd made him angry, I tried to smooth it over by telling him how grateful I was for all of his help, but that I just wasn't ready to jump into a sexual relationship yet. Jonathan acted like he understood, and I was relieved." Dani said as she stopped abruptly.

"That wasn't the end of it though, was it?" Amir asked as he clasped her hand in both of his.

Tears clung to her lashes as she shook her head, "I was so stupid."

"No. No, you weren't. We can all sit around and think about what we would do in a similar situation, but when it actually happens to you, your vision can narrow." Hannah said.

"I think I was just so desperate for a support system and I always wanted Evie to have a family, siblings. I thought I saw that future with him, and I think I let that cloud my judgment. I made excuses. But after that night, there was no denying it." Dani said as the tears finally fell.

Amir watched her as the anger started to boil, "What did he do?"

"Jonathan walked me up to my apartment. I usually invited him in for coffee, but that night I didn't because I was angry, and truth be told I was afraid, so he forced his way in behind me. I tried to brush it off because I didn't want to instigate a fight, so I was making the coffee, and I had my back to him. When I turned to get the sugar from the cabinet Jonathan was right behind me. I was startled, and I dropped the sugar jar which shattered on the floor." Dani shared with a shaky sigh as she remembered that night.

"Jonathan ignored it and pushed me back towards the counter to initiate something, but I dodged him and went to clean it up instead. He flew into a rage and shoved me down to the floor. I swear the only thing that stopped that situation from escalating further was the fact that I had a large shard of glass embedded in my wrist." Dani said as she absently rubbed the scar not realizing she'd drawn all of their eyes to the bruises she'd been hiding.

"The blood pooling on the floor was enough to send him into his default mode. It was like flipping a switch. He went from a hulking rage machine angered that I'd ignored him to clean up the mess to fixer in seconds, and that was when I knew I needed to get him out of my life. Anyone that can flip on a dime like that..." Dani stopped short with a shudder as she recalled the incident along with the fear and confusion it brought.

"When was that?" Jaz asked.

"Just over a month ago," Dani said.

"And he was fired after that?" Dalton asked.

"No. I filed a police report, but I didn't report him to our HR department immediately. I should have, but he was a prominent doctor who'd been there for years, and I was a nurse who'd been there about a year. Besides, the police could barely be bothered to write up the report, so I thought maybe I was overblowing the whole thing. More than anything, I was afraid I might lose my job, and I had a lot to lose, it's not like there are five hospitals to choose from like there would be in a bigger city. I'd have been forced to give up my already tiny support system, and I'd have to move again." Dani told them. "Anyway, after that, Jonathan stayed away from me for a while, maybe a week later he cornered me in the storage room and locked the door."

Amir started to ask a question, but she put her hand up and said, "I need to finish."

Dani gave him a sad smile as she squeezed his hand, but she dropped it when she realized she'd inadvertently been clutching it to her chest for comfort.

"At first, Jonathan acted like this was normal, but when I started to scream, he clamped a hand over my mouth so hard I tasted blood. Then he pressed his thumb into my wrist tearing the sutures until it started to bleed. He smiled when he felt blood coat his fingers, and I was just shaking with fear. Jonathan brought his thumb up to his mouth and said that everything tasted sweeter with a hint of fear as he started to undo the knot on his scrubs." Dani said as her voice trembled and tears started to freefall down her cheeks.

"Son of a bitch," Dalton muttered as Amir just looked murderous.

Dani just pushed on; she was sure she wouldn't be able to start again if she stopped now.

"I started frantically feeling around on the shelves for something, anything. When my hand closed around something heavy, I didn't even look to see what it was I just swung. Jonathan fell back as blood started to drip down his forehead and I just ran until I found Abbie."

Amir stood as disgust wafted off of him and walked into the kitchen. Dani dropped her eyes to the floor in embarrassment, but he laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder as he returned a few seconds later with a box of tissues and a glass of water.

Dani felt relief wash over her as Amir sat back down beside her and pulled a tissue from the box handing it to her.

"Abbie took me down to the ER so they could re-stitch my wrist, then straight to HR to report the incident. It turns out there had been other complaints about Jonathan, so he was terminated immediately."

"I didn't see him for weeks after that. Then I'd heard Jonathan took a job in Seattle from our HR department, so I let my guard down even though weird things had started to happen like my credit cards being frozen and my paychecks going to the wrong address." Dani said as she took a sip of water to steel herself for the rest of the story.

"That's when he cornered me in the employee garage. Jonathan was livid; I could feel his rage rolling off of him. I tried to run, but even if I were Usain Bolt fast, he would have caught up with me. I'm five foot nothing and Jonathan's about a foot and a half taller." Dani said as she relived her most recent encounter.

"Where were you when he caught up to you? Were you still in the garage, because there might be video surveillance?" Dalton asked.

"No, I'd made it to the stairwell, but I'm betting the cameras caught him following me. When Jonathan caught up to me, he threw me towards the metal stairs that led up to the next floor with so much force that I swear I could almost feel my internal organs slam against my rib cage. I knew I was in trouble because he'd knocked the wind out of me and pain was radiating through my back and down my legs."

Amir ground his teeth so hard Dani thought they might crack. As she glanced around the table, she realized he wasn't the only one.

"Jonathan grabbed my hands in his and slammed them down to the stairs above my head. Once he had my hands pinned under one of his, the other hand went to my scrub pants. If one of the night shift nurses hadn't been running late..." Dani said as she paused and tried to settle her breathing.

"As soon as she stepped into the stairwell above us, Jonathan let go and took off. I knew I got lucky and I didn't stick around to see if he was coming back. All I could think was thank god Evie had been with my cousin and her daughter that afternoon and not with me." Dani said as she swiped at her eyes.

"Anyway, I stayed with her that night because I was too unsettled to go home. But the next morning, yesterday...I had to go home to get a change of clothes so I could go to work. That's when I found the eviction notice on my door. That was the icing on the cake, and that's when I knew that Jonathan was probably responsible for getting my credit cards frozen, and re-routing my paychecks. Jonathan was herding me. He said I'd come running back to him, and when I didn't..."

"He was trying to make it so you had no choice." McGuire offered.

Dani nodded as she rubbed at her wrists before she finally revealed the deep purple bruises they'd only caught a glimpse of to that point.

McGuire stood from the other side of the table and approached her cautiously, "May I?"

She held her hands out as he pushed the sleeves of the sweatshirt up so he could see the injuries more clearly.

"Dani, did you get checked out after this happened?" He asked as he turned her wrists in his hands.

"No. I just wanted to get out of there. I just wanted to get to Evie; I was afraid Jonathan might go after her." Dani answered.

"Would you mind if I took a look? Or maybe Abbie could if you'd rather..." McG offered as he helped her to stand.

"No, it's okay," Dani said as she pulled her hair up so that he could see the bruised and abraded skin at the back of her neck.

"Did he rip your hair out?" Hannah asked as she took a step closer.

"Yes, he jerked my head back when I started to scream, and I remember watching as he tossed a handful of my hair to the floor. It's funny, I remember vividly the sound of my hair being ripped out and the hot feeling on my scalp as it throbbed after, but there are so many things that are a complete blur from that night." Dani answered.

"Would you mind if I took a look at your back?" McGuire asked. "We can go into the other room if you prefer."

Dani looked at Joseph, then at Amir as she nodded. Hannah went with them as they walked into the bathroom off the kitchen.

McG was obviously well versed in the abuses men were capable of, but he couldn't understand how any man could claim to care for a woman and then cause them harm. Those two things just didn't line up for him. He'd cut his own arm off before he ever raised a hand to Hannah or any woman for that matter.

When the bathroom door closed Dani carefully removed Amir's sweatshirt and pulled the back of her t-shirt up so that Joseph could look over her injuries.

Dani flinched as he carefully pressed on the deep bruises. McGuire could see the pattern of each metal stair etched into her back with straight deep purple lines surrounded by lighter bruising that blurred out from them. To say that it pissed him off would be an understatement, but McG knew Dani didn't need his anger right now.

"I'm going to live right doc?" Dani joked even though her voice broke with emotions she was trying to keep contained.

Joseph laughed, but his heart was hammering in his chest as anger simmered in his gut, "I think so, but I don't think you should go to work tomorrow."

"No. This isn't negotiable. I need to work, and I won't let Jonathan force me into hiding." Dani said as she straightened her spine and pulled the sweatshirt back over her head.

"Dani, we can't protect you at the hospital. We can try, but I think it would make doing your job a little difficult." Joseph said.

"You can walk me into the building, and I'll have security walk me to my car at the end of my shift. It's still in the parking garage since I came back here with Abbie yesterday. I have to go to my apartment and get my things at some point, too." Dani said as they opened the bathroom door.

"We'll get a Uhaul while you're at work and get that started. I'm sure we can get you packed up and out of there in a couple of hours." McG told her.

Dani just nodded, she was thankful for the help. If she'd had to do it on her own, it would have taken her days to get out, not to mention she would have had no place to go.

"For now, why don't we just put these concerns on the back burner. You and Evie are safe here, and we'll work out a plan for tomorrow later tonight." McGuire said as they rejoined the group that now included Abbie and Evie fresh from her nap.

* * *

The next morning, Amir and Dalton drove Abbie and Dani to the hospital early so they could talk to the security staff. Then, they spoke to the HR department head and alerted her to the situation and let her know that Dr. Morrissey had been on the premises and was threatening Dani.

The hope was that they would all be on alert in case Morrissey turned up again since they really couldn't just shadow Dani all day. Though if she would have allowed it, they might have tried. Evie stayed at the farm with Hannah and Jaz, so that was one worry that Dani could let go of.

Once Amir and Dalton were sure everything was in order, they met McG in town to pick up a Uhaul and get a head start on moving the furniture out of her apartment.

Dani could have fought the eviction notice, but with Morrissey's cousin owning the unit, she didn't feel safe there anymore.

The apartment was tiny, so they'd managed to load all of her furniture in a couple of hours, and Amir had packed up her kitchen cabinets leaving only her bathroom and both Dani's and Evie's closets. They'd opted to wait for Dani to do that, in case she wanted to put any of it in storage.

McGuire, Dalton and Amir made a trip to a storage facility and dropped off the furniture and her kitchen supplies. They'd left one box with Evie's dishes and cups at the apartment, but they figured everything else was safe to store for the time being.

McG returned the Uhaul, and the three of them headed back to the house knowing Dani and Abbie wouldn't be finished at the hospital until after dinner.

* * *

It was about eight when Joseph's phone rang.

It was Abbie, and she was frantic.

"Dani's gone."

* * *

Sorry to leave you hanging, but it was going to be a 10k chapter if I kept going.

I will try to have the next chapter up in a couple of days, then we'll go back to TLAS as the team wraps up their time together and everyone goes off on their own. And we'll get back to Dalton's search for his sisters.


	17. Hang On

First off, thank you for your understanding. I had a couple of family situations come up that pretty much took me off the board for well over a month. I'm not going to delve too far into it as I mentioned it several times (on A03) in response to several checking in or requesting updates in the comments of the last chapter, but I appreciate everyone checking in and I love that you are so invested in the story.

Having said that, I hope that I can get on a more normal posting schedule once I can get fully caught up with the things that pay my bills and family, etc. I'm getting there, and hopefully, I can get one a week from here on (more if possible) between the two stories.

I did my best to triple check it for continuity, etc. since I've been away for so long, that was harder than I thought it would be since half of it (just to make things harder I added a ton to the beginning and the end) was already written before everything went up in smoke around me. However, I will admit, I was in a bit of a hurry to get this up since I've kept you waiting for an eternity (again, so sorry), so I will probably be going back through it with edits in the next 24 hours but I wanted to get it to you ASAP!

I'll be tying up some loose ends in the next chapter (more on that below).

Hope you enjoy this one, it's been a LONG time coming I know!

***Oh yeah, rape is mentioned. But, it is NOT carried out. So, just wanted to throw you a warning.

* * *

 _Hang on, Hang on_  
 _When all is shattered_  
 _When all your hope is gone_  
 _Who knows_  
 _How long_  
 _There is a twilight_  
 _A nighttime and a dawn_

 _We break, We bend_  
 _With hand in hand_  
 _When hope is gone_  
 _Just hang on_  
 _Hang on_

 _Hang On - Guster_

* * *

Amir wasn't prepared for the words "What do you mean Dani's gone?" to knock the wind out of him. But as the words fell from McGuire's lips with a look of deep concern etched across his face, he knew things were about to go off the rails.

Amir waited for his usual calm to roll over him like a glacial bath, but that moment never came. His heart was racing as he bolted for his room to grab his sidearm and computer. His phone was already to his ear before he'd even made it back to the kitchen where he was certain the rest of the team had gathered to assess the situation.

They'd all been tired after a long day of hauling furnishings and running around town, but you'd never know by the look on their faces as Amir rounded the corner with the dull ring in his ear registering before a familiar voice echoed across the line.

"Amir, the kittens are fine. Hannah has already called me several times to check up on them; she didn't need to enlist your help, too." Noah joked.

"Kittens, what? Nevermind. I need your help. Probably best to loop Deputy Director Campbell in as well, because I can't guarantee we aren't going to cross local law enforcement." Amir barked.

"What the hell, you guys are supposed to be relaxing and doing anything but shower a sleepy little town with gunfire. What happened?" The analyst wondered aloud.

"Dani. A friend of McGuire's...she's been taken." Amir said as he tried to tamp down the shaking tone in his voice.

It was rage, it was adrenaline, but it was also fear. For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, someone had captured Amir's attention. He hadn't had time to evaluate what that meant, but Amir knew that he wanted to explore that feeling. He'd let his guard down for a miniature little whirlwind, and in the process, Evie's mom had found her way in as well.

The last time his emotions were this out of control was the day his sister had died. He had worked hard to learn how to tamp down adrenaline surges and control his emotions in the years since; emotions tended to get people killed in his experience.

Amir thought that he had shut himself off to all of the feelings that allowed for such attachments, but Dani and Evie had penetrated those walls with the precision of an assassin under cover of night.

They weren't lovers; he honestly didn't know what they were, or what they could be. Neither one of them were in that place. Amir wasn't sure he was ready for that, and she was rebounding from this...

That thought rattled through his body vibrating like a massive tuning fork echoing over his bones before he could ponder their connection any further. Dani was in very real danger, his instincts told him as much, but he needed to know just how much danger.

"Noah, I need you to get me everything you can on Dr. Jonathan Morrissey. A real deep dive. I want to know everything right down to what he ate for breakfast this morning." Amir growled into the phone as McG waved for him to put Noah on speaker.

"Copy. What about the locals?" Noah asked.

"Give them a heads up that we are in town. Tell Patricia it's important. This Morrissey guy has a history of violence, and she has a little girl who I refuse to tell mommy is never coming home. We'll explain later." McGuire answered. "I've got a friend on the force; I'll check in with him, too. But we need to run lead on this. I have no doubt this guy has an exit plan if he's backed into a corner and it doesn't involve walking away in any form without Dani."

"Great, so expect bloodshed. I'm sure this is going to go over well with Deputy Director Campbell." Noah answered as he felt a cool bead of sweat roll down his back when he saw the big hand on 11 as he caught sight of the clock.

"No doubt, but we need the wind at our backs here, she's been gone maybe an hour or so, but she's going to start making noise about her daughter if she hasn't already and when she does this guy is going to start spiraling," Dalton added.

"The little girl...is she safe?" Noah asked instinctively.

"We've got her. Hannah and Jaz are going to keep her safe and hopefully in the dark until her mom is back." McG answered.

"Ok, give me twenty minutes. I'll get back to you when I have something. In the meantime, try not to make the nightly news before I can loop in the Deputy Director." Noah said before he disconnected the call.

Hannah was already clicking away on Amir's computer and had every social media account Dr. Morrissey had open with a location search on every post, photo, and video he'd uploaded in the last year.

Hopefully, he was an oversharer.

With the whole team on this, Amir knew they would have the upper hand in short order, but he still wasn't feeling the calm that had been his trademark for his entire career, and it made him uneasy.

His blood was pumping like a fire hose; he was certain everyone could see the vein bulging in his neck. There was no ice water in his veins this time. This was hot pulsing rage.

Suddenly he was very familiar with what had kept Dalton going in Tehran.

"We need to get to the hospital and check the video feed," Amir said as he tried hard to blanket the fire raging in his chest.

"Get Abbie back here as soon as possible; I'm not going to sit on the sidelines here," Jaz said as she paced behind Hannah.

Amir almost cracked a smile as he saw another caged lion, Jaz was about as relaxed as he was, but she was always more prone to that sort of behavior. She had the calm of a sniper when her weapon was trained on a target, but when it came to people she cared about she wore her emotions like a billboard in the desert. Bright, loud, and out of place.

It usually didn't get in the way of her doing her job, but it had never been the methodical approach that Amir generally took. Often, that had rubbed him the wrong way early on, but at this moment understanding washed over him. He knew exactly how she felt for the first time.

Where Amir had always functioned like in a manner that was cold and methodical, Jaz thrived on her emotions they were never out of control, just the opposite her attachments kept her focused. It was just one more reminder that they each had their own methods and it was what made this team so effective.

Amir put a hand on her shoulder. He didn't have words to comfort her, no orders to calm her down, but he needed to convey his thoughts to her in some manner.

Jaz nodded and said, "I'm no good here. I need to have eyes on the situation."

"As soon as Abbie is back here. Until then, I need you to keep an eye on Evie so that Hannah and Noah can work uninterrupted to find whatever breadcrumbs this asshole has inevitably left behind." Dalton said as he rubbed her neck.

They all knew Jaz wanted no part of the Mrs. Doubtfire act, but she was good with the little girl and if Evie woke up someone needed to keep her calm because none of them would be able to focus if they had a panicked child on their hands.

Hannah was already on the line with Noah, and McGuire had a veritable arsenal assembled on the kitchen counter within minutes. Amir didn't need to know why McG was loaded for a tactical assault on his home turf at the moment; he was just grateful.

"This is a bit much for a bear on the back porch," Dalton joked as he checked his sidearm and picked up a second one that he tucked into the back of his pants.

"You should see my medical supplies." McG joked as he hefted a large pack onto back.

"Let's hope those can stay put," Hannah interjected.

"Dalton, I need you to drive. I'm going to reach out to my friend with the local PD and Amir; I need you to be the relay on whatever Hannah and Noah can assemble since we don't have comms," McG said as he tossed the keys to Dalton. "Let's move."

* * *

The three of them were on the road as McGuire spoke to Campbell then followed up with Detective Mitchell Haberman, a lifelong friend who had followed McG into the Army. Their paths diverged a few years back, but the brotherhood formed from childhood and reinforced through their experiences in a war zone forged a bond that could never be broken, though it wasn't immune to an argument.

"Mitch, this is Dani. I'd love to stand down, but she's like a little sister to me, and there is no way I'm going to let that little girl wake up without her mom tomorrow." McGuire stated.

Amir knew no matter the bond the two men shared, Haberman would push back on a Special Ops team taking over a local kidnapping case, but he could only hear McG's side of the conversation as he listened to Noah and Hannah chattering back and forth on the open line he held to his ear. It was clear Haberman was already on the scene, so at least they would have a full run down by the time they made it across town.

Noah had confirmed that Haberman was going to relent after what was likely a very unpleasant conversation with Deputy Director Campbell, but it didn't mean he wasn't going to have some input. Amir just needed to trust they'd work it out before they landed at the hospital.

Noah had confirmed that Morrissey owned two apartment buildings and a storage facility in town with his cousin. Side businesses he'd kept even after he'd been forced to move to Seattle.

They'd also discovered that Morrissey's cousin hadn't been seen in over two weeks and that Morrissey had not shown up for some time in Seattle.

So, Dalton asked Noah to pinpoint the locations of all the real estate holdings from the hospital knowing that Morrissey didn't have a lot of time to move Dani and that he'd be looking for privacy.

One of the buildings was fully occupied, so that was quickly ruled out, the other was currently in the midst of a stalled renovation that appeared to halt around the time that Morrissey was forced to leave. Finally, the storage facility was out in the middle of nowhere.

So, it was narrowed down to two locations.

"See if you can get imaging. A storage facility should be fairly quiet at this time of night, and an abandoned construction project should be as well. Hopefully, one of them will give away their location." McGuire asked of Noah once he got off his call.

"Traffic cams also. I'm guessing there aren't too many out here, but anything to narrow it down. ATM's, store security footage. We need to be right; we can't just take a stab in the dark and hope for the best. He doesn't know it yet, but Morrissey is cornered." Amir added as he stared up at the traffic lights and mapped out whatever surveillance they could utilize as they neared the hospital.

"When he figures that out, it isn't going to be pretty. So, let's just make sure that we get there before he can enact whatever end game he has in store because I don't think we're going to like it." Dalton finished.

* * *

When they got to the hospital, McGuire greeted Detective Haberman at the main entrance with a quick slap on the back and a firm handshake. Introductions were quick and they wasted no time getting down to business.

"Anything on surveillance?" McG asked.

"We have video of Ms. Shaw exiting the building with an escort. The head of security. She stopped at her car and picked up my business card. I spoke to her a while back. She was spooked, but she wasn't pointing the finger at this guy. I would have done something if she had." Haberman explained as he watched varying shades of annoyance and anger flash across their faces. "The last thing she needed was for one more overbearing male to push her closer to the one intent on hurting her. Come on brother; it's Dani. She's like a kid sister to me too."

"I know. It's just that I feel like I let Dani down. I should never have let her come in tonight, or barring that, I should have stuck to her like glue." McG shared.

"Right, because she certainly would have let either of those things happen. I know we've all changed, but Dani was never much for being taken care of. You and I both know that she thought she could handle this and the only reason she even talked to anyone about this is her little girl." Haberman offered.

"We can reminisce later," Amir interrupted as his patience seeped through his pores almost as fast as his heart raced. "So, she grabs the card. What then?"

"The security guard was standing a few feet behind her as she rummaged in her car. We could see his back in the frame, but nothing behind him. He went down, and Dani turned dropping her keys and the card as she ran to help him." One of Haberman's officers shared as he ran the footage on a tablet.

"We never saw the perp come into full view; he clearly knew where the cameras were. Anyway, she knelt down beside the guard to assess his injuries when she responded to movement or a voice. She held her hands up as you might to someone who is armed and stepped back as she spoke to the assailant. She walked towards him, but she never took her eyes off the guard." Haberman added.

"That's strange if someone has a gun trained on you, you'd think he'd have your full attention?" McG asked. "Have you talked to the guard?"

"We can't. He's in surgery." Haberman shared. "He was shot in the abdomen. But, Dani is probably the only reason he is alive. She kept her eyes focused on him as she walked by and appeared to 'trip' as she stepped around him. The perp stepped into the frame and dragged her from the ground wrenching her arm in the process, but he failed to notice she'd picked up her keys. Once she was out of frame, her car alarm started to go off. We found her keys and signs of a struggle near the street. After that, nothing. So clearly he had a vehicle waiting."

Amir smiled. She'd known she couldn't stop what was about to happen, but she'd been smart enough to ensure someone would come looking not just for her, but that they'd find the security guard before he bled out.

"The alarm raised someone in minutes. Another security guard entered to check the source of the alarm and found him. He immediately called for medical assistance, and someone phoned the station not too long after." Haberman shared.

Abbie came running down the hall a moment later. She had blood on her scrubs, and her skin was as pale as McGuire could ever recall seeing it.

"Joe, it's bad. Ben Schrader was with her. He's still in surgery, but he lost a lot of blood." She said as tears streamed down her face as she held out her scrub top and stared at the now rusty smudges. "Did he...was...is any of this Dani's blood?"

"We don't know mom, but we have to stay positive. We're going to find her." McGuire reassured her. "Mitch we have two locations to look at, my team is working to narrow it down further with cams and imaging. We think it's either an old storage facility or one of the two apartment complexes Morrissey owns."

"Well, I can narrow that down. It's not the apartment complex. I sent teams to both locations, and they found a body at the abandoned building. Appears to be late 30's male, it's going to take some time to ID; he's been there for a bit. Either way, that site is burned if he's looking to hide. The storage facility didn't come up on our background check, but it seems like the only option unless he's left town. And only a fool would have risked that since Dani raised the alarm so quickly and he'd be wanting to avoid the main road which was swarmed with cop cars in short order. It's not like we respond to shootings every day." Haberman said as he verbally ran through scenarios on the fly.

Dalton returned clearly having drawn the same conclusion from their team on the location, "Storage facility. Hannah said there were cop cars all over the abandoned complex."

"Mom, go home. Evie needs a familiar face if she wakes up. Give Jaz the truck because there's no way she'll sit this one out." McG said as he handed her the keys. "Maybe change first in case Evie is already awake."

Abbie looked down at her scrubs and took the keys before she kissed him on the cheek and glanced towards Amir as she whispered, "Bring her home."

She disappeared down the hall a moment later, and the team headed back towards their vehicles.

* * *

Dalton stepped up to Haberman's vehicle when they got outside, "I know this is your town, but we deal with hostages and these kinds of situations a lot more than you all probably do. Mind if I catch a ride with you and establish a game plan?"

"Sure. As long as you know, we'll be taking him in once he's in custody." Mitch told him.

"Once Dani is safe, you can do with him whatever you like. I can't promise you he'll be in one piece though. That will be up to Morrissey." Dalton offered.

"I can live with that," Haberman added.

Dalton simply nodded. He was looking to start a firefight, but if he put Dani in further danger to escape, none of them would hesitate to end Morrissey.

* * *

Dani was groggy when she started to come around, and nausea gripped her stomach as her memories followed.

Her hands were twisted behind her back with her elbows banded tightly together with what felt like an industrial zip tie. Her shoulders ached from the strain, but that was the least of her concerns.

Dani had no idea where she was, all she knew was that the floor was hard, freezing cold, and damp.

She remembered sounding her car alarm, and she knew that once someone had been alerted it wouldn't be long before Abbie was aware that she was gone. Once she knew, Joe and his team would come looking. Dani was certain Jonathan hadn't been counting on them.

While she didn't know exactly what they did, she knew enough to know they weren't the kind of team that the average citizen wanted to tangle with.

She knew that they could be dangerous, lethal even.

Just as she took comfort from that thought, the metal door rolled opened, and a single old bulb hummed to life faintly above her head as Jonathan walked in.

"I'm so glad you're awake. I was getting a little tired of waiting." Jonathan sneered.

Dani cringed and leaned away as he knelt in front of her and dragged a finger against her skin.

"Did you really think that I was going to just walk away from my investment?" He growled.

"I'm not an investment." Dani spat. "I'm a human being."

"Huh, you dispatched me as though I was something less than the dirt on the bottom of your shoe, but you want me to treat you differently?" Jonathan grumbled as he pressed his fingers to her forehead.

Dani flinched as she realized he'd broken the skin when he'd grabbed her from the parking garage. She bit her cheek hard enough to draw blood, but she'd be damned if she'd give him the satisfaction of screaming.

As she recalled the garage, more of her memories started to flood back.

"Oh god, Ben. You shot him?" Dani shouted as she saw a flash of the security guard slumped on the floor of the garage with a gunshot wound.

She hadn't gotten a good look before Jonathan forced her to step away as he threatened to end Ben's life with a bullet to the head if she didn't go with him, but she knew he wasn't moving and there was a lot of blood.

Dani had promised everyone that she would call Mitch Haberman and report the incident in the garage a couple of days earlier, but she'd left his card in her glove box, so she'd asked Ben to walk her to the car. She could have just called the station. Guilt roiled in her gut as she thought about how she'd put Ben's life in danger.

He'd been telling her about his granddaughter as they walked to her car, and now Dani had no idea if he'd ever get to see her again.

"The good news is he's in a hospital parking lot; the bad news is he's not in any shape to get into the hospital on his own," Jonathan said with a laugh that chilled her to the bone. "But you might have given him a chance with that little alarm stunt."

"Why? What is your fixation with me?" Dani asked not knowing if the answer would be something she wanted to hear.

"I got you a job at my hospital. I was patient with you; I treated you like a princess. I made sure you had a roof over your head, I took care of you, I made every concession for your kid, but I never came first for you. Not once." Jonathan muttered as he paced before her.

"I told you from the beginning that my daughter was always going to be my priority. I never misrepresented that fact." Dani said.

"Well, now you won't have to worry about that because she has been removed from the equation," Jonathan told her without so much as a thread of remorse.

"W-what do you mean?" Dani asked as panic started to bubble in her gut. "If you touch one hair on her head..."

"Oh relax, you left her in good hands. I'm sure Abigail McGuire will care for her as if she were one of her own. She always did love the child." He spat with disgust.

Dani felt calm roll over her once she knew that Evie hadn't been on his hit list. She hated the idea of being apart from her little girl, and she would fight like hell to get back to her, but knowing Evie was safely out of Jonathan's reach was exactly what she needed to fight.

"You're right Jonathan. Abbie will take care of Evie. Thank you for considering that." Dani conceded as she attempted to sweep the ground around her for anything she could use to free her hands.

This man was out of his mind. It was becoming clear to Dani that Jonathan felt she'd been manipulating him, that she'd forced his hand to get here. This was deranged.

"I'm so glad to hear you've come to your senses, but you're still going to have to pay for the way you've neglected me all these months," Jonathan told her with a gleeful lilt to his voice as he swung back and leveled her with an open hand.

Dani shook her head as she tried to clear her vision, she knew he got off on her panic, so she intended to keep that buried for as long as she could. She struggled to pull herself back up to a sitting position; a task made much harder by the zip ties that surrounded her elbows, and wrists.

Jonathan looked at her with annoyance when he didn't get the response he was hoping for, so he put a little more into the next blow when he saw the smile that curved up at the corners of her mouth.

"I would really hate to mark up this pretty face any further, but I'm not opposed to scars." Jonathan spat. "Once we get situated, you won't need to leave the house."

Dani spit a mouthful of blood on the floor as she got back to her knees and glared at him. She knew she was playing with fire.

There was just as much chance that he'd walk away and leave her in the dark again as there was that she'd provoke him into further punishment, but either one worked as long as he stayed focused on her.

Dani didn't think he wanted to kill her, but it would be a fine line. She thought he was capable of it, but she had to take that chance because she needed to buy some time until the team could find her and the last thing she wanted was to give him time to consider moving her.

Either way, she was poking the bear.

It really wouldn't much matter if they found her dead, so Dani prayed this little gamble would work.

"I know you feed off of my fear. I get that now. It's going to take a lot more than this to get a reaction though. You've already told me that my daughter is safe. So, whatever you have planned for me, I'm not afraid. Evie was always the key to your manipulations. She was the reason I needed the job so desperately. She was the reason I had to accept your help to get into that apartment. My desire to give her a family was the reason I gave you a chance, and she was the reason I was so afraid to cross you once I saw what you really were. You can cut me; you can rape me, you can even kill me, but as long as she is safe and loved, I still win." Dani spat defiantly.

She just needed to keep him talking. This team would find her.

"I could change that real quick." Jonathan sneered as he swung his fist into her cheekbone with a sickening crack.

Dani sat up as she felt warmth spread down her cheek and tasted copper on her tongue. He looked on eagerly waiting for the tears to follow, but to his shock, she spit her blood at him and laughed.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?" He asked as he loomed over her.

"You. You have no idea what you've waded into." Dani smiled as blood stained her teeth and laughed once more.

She could hear only eerie silence, but she knew it was only a matter of time before their current reality would erupt in chaos. McGuire, Amir, Dalton, and Jaz were coming, of that she was certain. Jaz had shared bits and pieces of her previous situation. She'd been light on details, but the take away had been her belief that this team would never let her go.

At the time, it never occurred to Dani that she'd get to see first hand how dedicated they were, but she had no doubt in her mind that they were the best at what they did and that they would stop at nothing to bring her home.

"On the contrary, I've planned this out with surgical precision. Of course, I thought I'd have been able to slip out of town before anyone was the wiser, but I can improvise. Your alarm forced me to hole up here, but it'll take the cops weeks to wade through the shell companies to find this place, and we'll be long gone by then."

Again Dani smiled. Having watched Hannah sift through data in search of Dalton's sisters, she knew Jonathan wouldn't stand a chance at hiding this place from her. In fact, Hannah probably knew about this place before she'd even regained consciousness.

Jonathan was infuriated by the little smile that curved her lips again; it was time she knew what was at stake here.

"You may no longer fear what I can do to your daughter, but as a doctor, I can inflict pain without ending your life. Pretend all you want, but I can break you, and I will be the one smiling then." Jonathan cooed menacingly as he rubbed his finger through the gash over her cheekbone pressing hard against bone that she was sure had been broken.

Dani managed to stem her reaction only giving up a gasp of air before she closed her eyes and focused on the silence once again.

But, it wasn't about what she heard, it was about what she didn't hear.

She didn't hear gravel shifting under tires, or the crackle of radios, or sirens in the distance.

This was a small town, even if the cops were headed in the wrong direction they should hear sirens. A shooting had occurred, and the police had to be hunting for them, it was odd not to hear every siren they had. Except that she knew the real predators in this situation didn't use lights and sirens to announce their presence.

They wouldn't come in guns blazing; they'd slip in like carbon monoxide fumes, an undetected silent threat.

Dani knew they were cornered, so she figured there was little chance Jonathan would escape with a pulse because the only thing he had to leverage was her.

There was only one way in and one way out of the space Jonathan had chosen to hunker down. Once the team made their presence known he could either submit and live or fight and die, Dani really didn't care which option he chose.

As if she'd willed it, he jerked hearing the sound of gravel being displaced. Jonathan grabbed her elbow and wrenched her to her feet causing her to whimper in pain. Her fingers had gone numb long ago, but she felt bone shift as he dragged her in the direction of the noise and a wave of dizziness washed over her as her skin started to feel hot.

Dani hadn't really thought about what kind of shape she was in, but now, she was feeling like a liability as she slumped forward. Adrenaline did funny things, now that she was certain safety was just a few feet away its effects were starting to wash away from her.

Jonathan jerked her backward again, and this time Dani yelped in pain, but then she felt the air move as the single bulb above them burst startling Jonathan to the ground behind her.

Dani made a move to crawl away, but the gravel (and possibly glass) under her torn scrubs and the fact that her arms were completely useless made the motion awkward and sluggish.

A second later, a cold hand clamped over her elbow, and the other closed around her neck, but she continued to struggle in the direction she thought would lead her to safety using his pull as almost a counterbalance since she didn't have the use of her hands.

Jonathan was shouting incoherently into the wind toward an attack he thought would be waged from the front, but Dani felt movement all around them.

Unlike Jonathan, she knew there were multiple threats lurking in the darkness, and they were almost certainly prepared for the handicap they'd created. Dani kept pulling against him trying to slip from his grasp. She could smell the acrid scent of his urine giving away the fear he now felt.

Dani couldn't help but laugh as she whispered, "How does it feel to be afraid? To be the prey?"

He didn't answer; he just closed his hand tighter around her neck until she started to feel her consciousness ebb away.

Jonathan had been so consumed by fear and rage that he hadn't realized she'd managed to shuffle them out into the open. Seconds before Dani let the darkness overtake her; she felt his fingers being pried from her throat and a lethal whisper, "If you don't let go, I will gladly break every one of your fingers then I'll make sure you never take another breath."

Dani thought she might have imagined the whole thing as the world went still, but it didn't matter because the last thought that invaded her mind was of her little girl safe and sound in her bed.

* * *

I will tell you that there is another chapter for Call Me Joseph already in the works that will deal with the aftermath and a few flashbacks from the teams perspective. In addition, I am working on the next chapter of The Light Among Shadows that will take Dalton and Jaz off on their own finally, so, get ready for that as well.

I will do my absolute best to get a more normal posting schedule going, but life has been throwing curve balls from all directions, so it might take me a little time to get there. Just know that I am committed to continuing both stories and that I have no intentions of just walking away from them!

Also, I'm happy to see some more positive signs regarding renewal...I hope we'll get some news in the next couple of weeks!


	18. This WOman's Work

Ok, so I have a little good news-bad news scenario for all of you. The good news is, here's a new chapter!

The bad news, there's another one coming, so the TLAS update is getting pushed back in order to wrap this little thread up :)

As bad news goes, hopefully that's not terrible.

I thought about continuing and wrapping it up in one chapter, but this was already creeping up on 5k so I decided to split it. But, hopefully the second half will be up tomorrow, and then I promise I will get to TLAS and the much anticipated Dalton/Jaz solo chapter you're all dying for!

I promise it will be worth the wait. I mean, Dalton...Jaz...a private beach...that won't be awful right? :)

I love the original Kate Bush version of the song in the title, but I the Greg Laswell version was so perfect for this one! Give it a listen if you like.

So, without further ado...

* * *

I know you have a little life in you yet

I know you have a lot of strength left  
I know you have a little life in you yet  
I know you have a lot of strength left

I should be crying, but I just can't let it show  
I should be hoping, but I can't stop thinking  
Of all the things I should've said, but I never said  
And all the things we should've done, but we never did  
And all the things we should've given, but I didn't

This Woman's Work - Greg Laswell

* * *

"If you don't let go, I will gladly break every one of your fingers then I'll make sure you never take another breath."

* * *

All night, Amir had been waiting for his nerves to settle. He'd been on edge because he was anything but calm, and that wasn't normal for him when lives were on the line.

So, it was a relief when he felt that calm flood through his system as he wrapped his arm around the neck of the man before him. Control. That was all he'd needed, and now, he had it.

For most people, having a life in their hands no matter how indefensibly awful they were would induce panic, but for Amir, this was his sweet spot. He learned quickly how to separate the man he was away from the job with the man he had to be when faced with life and death choices.

This was a life or death choice, and he wouldn't lose a moment of sleep over it.

"Let. Go." He calmly stated low and lethal as he watched the fight draining from Dani's body.

Amir had hoped to avoid taking this man's life simply because he deserved the lengthy prison sentence he had coming, but with every gasp that escaped her lips, any choice he had was evaporating.

Morrissey's fingers were clamped so tightly around her throat that Amir could see the bruises forming before his eyes like spilled watercolors.

"If you're lucky you'll die. If not, you'll spend a life in prison paralyzed, and you have exactly two seconds before those become your only choices." Amir whispered with lethal intent.

He could see Dalton nearby, and he knew that somewhere in the darkness Jaz had her finger on the trigger ready to take him out. She would've already taken that shot if she had one, but right now, there were two extra bodies in the line of fire as Amir worked to pry his fingers from her throat.

He knew McG was standing by, but his hands were probably twitching against the pack he carried over his shoulder because there was no way he could stop what was unfolding before him. All he could do was prepare for what was coming next.

Before Jaz shot the lights out, they'd all seen the blood, even before Morrissey got his hands around her neck Dani was in rough shape.

Amir had slipped in behind them when Morrissey staggered back after the first shot was fired.

Now, he wished they'd just taken the kill shot instead, but the plan had been to get him in custody. They were on American soil, not some war zone, so even Dalton was advocating for this man to stand before a judge and jury.

It was the right thing to do.

At that moment, Amir was thankful for all the training he'd amassed over the years allowing him to move undetected, of course, he also had the benefit of night vision.

That certainly didn't hurt.

Dani gasped one final time, and Amir didn't hesitate. The air around them was still and the night was silent as the team was all poised waiting for an opportunity that didn't put Amir or Dani at further risk.

They were out of options, and Amir was done waiting.

The only sound they heard was the sharp crack. To the untrained ear, it sounded like a spindly branch snapping under an ill-placed foot, but to those standing in the darkness, they all knew it was the end of Jonathan Morrissey.

Before his lifeless body even hit the ground a spotlight illuminated every spec of dirt floating softly through the cool night air. It took everyone a second until their eyes adjusted, but McGuire was at a sprint the second he spotted Amir carrying Dani toward him.

McG noticed two things in the span of the thirty yards they covered. First, there was a lot of blood, and second, she looked lifeless in his heart rate kicked up as the thought that he might not be able to save her flitted through his mind before he shoved it down so hard his stomach hurt.

Amir laid her down carefully on the ground and McGuire went to work. He refused to accept any scenario that didn't involve a little girl being reunited with her mother.

"Come on Dani, stay with me," McGuire shouted as Haberman's team rolled in to make sure that Morrissey was down for good.

The team didn't need to check; they knew Amir.

There was no way Amir was going to saddle her with a lifetime of parole hearings where she had to fight to keep this lunatic in prison. And that very well could have been the reality she faced.

Jonathan Morrissey signed his own death warrant the second he'd made clear he intended to end Dani if he couldn't have her.

McGuire glanced up at Amir who looked like he was on the verge of losing his mind, "I've got her."

McG didn't know if he did, but he wasn't about to give up on her. He worked to get her airway first. Fortunately, Morrissey hadn't crushed her larynx which had been a very real concern, and while he couldn't rule out a neck injury, McG didn't think he'd broken her neck.

Even with a strong grasp of anatomy, it just wasn't that easy to snap someone's neck with your bare hands no matter what every action flick ever made seemed to indicate. It generally took some type of leverage and a twist that usually came from an elbow lifting and turning.

Thankfully, Morrissey did neither; Amir did both.

A medic approached them and tried to push McG from Dani's still lifeless body. He backed off almost instantly as he received several lethal looks from the rest of the team before Dalton offered a terse explanation.

"He's a combat medic."

The paramedic just nodded and set his pack down beside McGuire with a defibrillator, "Tell me what you need."

McGuire was in the middle of compressions when Dani finally filled her lungs with a gasp of air and Amir fell to his knees as he carefully brushed her hair from her face and waited for her eyes to focus.

"We've got you. You're safe." Amir assured her.

"J-J-Jon..." Dani tried, but the words just wouldn't come.

"He's never going to bother you or Evie again," Joseph told her as he shined a penlight in her eyes.

Her pupils were equal and reactive, but she had pronounced petechiae in both eyes from straining to breathe as Jonathan attempted to choke her. She also had a deep gash that was bleeding slowly just below her hairline that was going to a lot of require stitches. Those were easy.

The two biggest concerns were what appeared to be an orbital fracture with a significant laceration and what was more than likely a spiral fracture in her left arm. McG didn't know how she wasn't just screaming in pain. She'd been so calm as they'd approached the unit, and even as she came around she remained eerily calm.

Dani had even been goading Morrissey, but she had to have been in a significant amount of pain.

"You are one tough little lady," McGuire told her as the medic handed him a field splint for her arm.

Dani's eyes were watering, and her chin quivered ever so slightly as the weight of her ordeal was finally pressing down on her.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." Amir told her as McGuire got IV fluids going and hit her with a dose of morphine now that he had her stabilized.

"I don't want to give you too much until we can do a full workup, but this should take the edge off for the ride to the hospital." He whispered. "But, if it gets to be too much, let me know."

Dani mouthed, "Evie."

Jaz leaned over and gave her the reassurance she was looking for, "She's home and still sleeping soundly. Abbie and Hannah have her, I just talked to them. We'll get her to you as soon as she wakes up."

Dani looked panicked as she started to shake her head, so McGuire carefully placed both hands against her cheeks while trying to avoid her injuries and still her movements.

"Don't. Try not to move your head any more than necessary." He told her.

Her movements were limited by the C collar, but he didn't want to take any chances until they had all the imaging necessary to rule out a neck injury. Dani was stable, but that didn't mean McG didn't have a lot of concerns.

"Let's move," McGuire barked as they settled her onto the gurney and headed for the ambulance.

McG had no intention of leaving her side, so he hopped up into the back with the paramedic who helped stabilize her while his partner drove. Dani moaned with every bump or turn, and all he wanted to do was stop the pain, but without knowing the extent of her injuries and the head trauma, the last thing he wanted was to give her anything that would sedate her further than the minuscule dose of morphine he'd given in the field.

McGuire wanted her responsive when they got to the ER because it would make assessing her that much easier, but he didn't want her to be in horrible pain either. So, all he could do was keep talking to her and keep her conscious. Once they assessed her head injury, they'd be able to manage her pain better.

"Dani, look at me. You did great," McG started as he gently pressed dressings to her forehead and cheek now that they had some light to work with. "You never gave him the satisfaction of showing him fear or pain, it was impressive."

Dani gave him a shaky smile and tried to talk, but her voice came out as a barely audible rasp.

"It's okay, try not to talk. Your voice is going to need a little time I think."

Dani made a writing motion with her right hand and the medic pulled a notepad from his shirt pocket and a pen. McGuire held the pad and handed her the pen.

Don't bring Evie to see me. Not yet. I don't want her to see me like this.

"Dani, she's going to want to see you. The longer we keep her from you, the more traumatic it's going to be when she does see you." He answered.

What am I going to tell her?

"I don't know Dani, but we'll figure something out."

Easier to convince her I can slay monsters under her bed. Someday, I'll tell her everything, but I want her to have the childhood I had. One where her best friend pushes her on the swings and protects her from playground bullies.

"Well, I guess Hannah, and I better get moving if she's going to have her very own Joe McGuire to look out for her." McG joked.

You'll probably have all girls.

He laughed, "You're probably right, but it would be fun to watch them play together in the yard and ride horses."

Dani smiled gingerly at the image he'd painted as they pulled into the ambulance bay.

* * *

Abbie and the team were waiting as they wheeled her into the ER.

When they passed the security guard Dani's eyes flashed to McG, and she frantically motioned for the pen and paper as the head of the Emergency Department, Dr. Richmond stepped to her side.

Ben?

"Ben is going to pull through. He's in recovery. He lost a lot of blood, but you saved his life." Dr. Richmond told her. "He's going to be running around chasing his grandbaby in no time because of your quick thinking and I know he'll be really happy to see you."

"You had me scared to death sweetheart," Abbie said she put a blood pressure cuff on her arm and started to check her vitals while Joseph gave the doctor all the pertinent information from the field.

Evie

"Hannah stayed behind. She was still sleeping when I left, but I'll head back there as soon as we have you all taken care of. I just had to see you with my own eyes." Abbie told her.

Dani tapped her hand over her heart as tears started to fall freely.

"I love you, too," Abbie said as she dabbed at her tears and tried to stem her own.

Dani had come through a horrible ordeal, and the road ahead wasn't going to be easy, so Abbie was thrilled that she was staying on the farm where she could look after her and help out with Evie. She was definitely going to need some time to heal.

It only took a few minutes for Dr. Richmond to assess her injuries and order all the imaging they needed. Then he made the call to get their best surgeons out of bed to fix her arm, address the orbital fracture and close the head lacerations to limit scarring.

Dani spent most of the night and into the morning in surgery, so Abbie, Jaz, and Dalton headed home to get some rest while McGuire and Amir tried to rest in one of the doctor's lounges with neither of them having much success.

After an hour of staring at the ceiling and thinking about all that could have gone sideways, McGuire broke the silence.

"Dani's going to need someone to lean on when she gets through this, and you know I love you like a brother, but do me a favor and don't let it be you unless you intend to stick around."

"I. She. I'm not even sure Dani sees me that way." Amir stammered.

"She does. Dani might not be ready to admit that, but she does. I can see it. We all can. And that little girl is already attached to you," McGuire shared.

"I won't hurt her, either of them. If that means walking away now, I will." Amir conceded.

"But you don't want to," McGuire started.

They didn't get a chance to finish the conversation as Dr. Richmond came into the room with an update about Dani.

* * *

"Dani made it through surgery. She's going to have some swelling in her face but the orbital fracture didn't require any stabilization just a lot of sutures, as did the laceration at her hairline. We called in a plastic surgeon to close those up, so the scarring should be minimal once the swelling goes down." Richmond said.

"That's great, what about her arm?" McG asked.

"That was a little more complicated. It was a torsion fracture and it required some additional hardware to stabilize it, so she's going to be in a cast for some time and there will be some limitations until it's healed. Fortunately, she has a great support system, she's definitely going to need a little help over the next month or so." The doctor shared.

"When can she have visitors? Or go home?" Amir asked.

"I can take you to see her now. She's going to be really groggy, and she probably won't be able to talk much for a couple of days, maybe longer but there shouldn't be any long-term issues there. As far as her going home, we'd like to keep her under observation for at least 24 to 48 hours given the head trauma. If everything looks good, we can let her go home since we know she'll be under the watchful eye of a combat medic and one of our best nurses." Richmond offered.

Both Amir and Joseph sighed in relief.

"That's great news. Let's go see her!" McG said as he pushed the door to the lounge open.

* * *

Amir was asleep in the chair holding Dani's hand when the rest of the team arrived with Evie in tow. McGuire had met them in the lobby so that he could explain what he knew and help them prepare Evie for what she was about to see.

Abbie was the one that delivered the explanation they'd agreed upon as per Dani's wishes once they stood outside the room. Evie was reaching towards the door anxious to see her mom.

"Ok little munchkin, rememer how I told you mommy was in an accident?"

The little girl nodded as worry was etched on her tiny features.

"Well, she has some really big boo boos, and they're going to look really scary, but your mommy is going to be okay." Abbie added.

"Ebie see mommy." Evie said as she reached harder for the door.

"We will, but mommy has a sore throat, so she might not be able to talk today." Abbie continued.

"Ebie see mommy..." Evie answered as tears started to flood her eyes and her lip started to quiver.

As soon as Evie let out that little squeal that came right before the waterworks exploded the door open and Amir appeared, "Hey little monkey!"

"Amiw!" Evie shouted as she leapt towards him tears temporarily forgotten.

"Mommy has some ouchies, do you think you can make them feel better?"

"Ebie twy."

"That's good. You know what the best medicine will be?"

Evie shook her head.

"This smile." Amir said as brushed a finger over the little dimple in her cheek.

Evie smiled a big toothy grin for him.

"She's a little scared, but seeing her brave girl will fix that. Can you be brave for mommy?" Amir asked.

"Ebie bwave." She said with as much conviction as a toddler could muster.

"Okay, let's go see mommy."

* * *

When they walked into the room, Hannah and Jaz were talking to Dani. As soon as Evie saw her mom both of their eyes started to water but Evie stoically tried to keep a manufactured smile on her face like Amir had told her.

It was comical and heartbreaking at the same time.

"Mommy!" Evie whispered as they locked eyes and the little girl reached out making grabbing motions with her tiny hands.

"I'm going to put you on the bed with mommy, just be careful of the ouchies." Amir told her.

"Ebie kiss bettew." She stated as he carefully settled her on Dani's right side.

Dani hugged her as tight as she could with her right arm as she tried not to get her IV tangled with her little girl.

"Mommy's okay little bug." Dani rasped quietly as Evie placed gentle kisses on all the boo boos she could reach before snuggling into her chest.

"Mommy okay." Evie whispered as she gave a big sigh.

Dani closed her eyes thankful that she had her daughter in her arms and that she had responded reasonably well to the trauma of seeing her looking like she'd gone a few rounds with a prize fighter.

Dani mouthed a thank you to Amir for the words she'd overheard in the hallway, she had been anxious about how Evie would react.

Amir just gave her a nod and a smile. He'd once again proven that he was full of surprises.

Abbie was always an Evie whisperer, but for some reason her daughter had taken to Amir. Dani found that she was quite taken with this mysterious man who had saved her life just a day ago too.

She was finally willing to admit this wasn't something that had developed as a result of his heroics. She'd been trying to tamp it down, but if she was being honest Amir caught her eye the second he'd averted blood shed by catching Evie as she sailed towards a face full of stiches in Joe's driveway the night they met.

Maybe her daughter was smarter than she was because Evie adored Amir from almost the second they'd met, but she never warmed up to Jonathan. Not even a little bit. There was always a suspision in her eyes when he interacted with her.

Dani wondered why children were such good bullshit detectors, and why adults seemed to grow out of it, because no adult she knew seemed to retain it. Except maybe Abbie, but she suspected a lifetime of people disappointing her had caused her to re-learn that trait.

Maybe after this experience she'd reacquire her bullshit detector too, but as she held her daughter and watched Amir, she couldn't help but imagine a life with him in it. Maybe he would be a good friend like Joe had always been, but for the first time since Evie's dad died she was looking at someone and wondering what it might be like to see a man tucking Evie in or telling her a bedtime story.

She'd given up on that dream a long time ago, and maybe that wasn't what Amir would be to them either, but she knew she wanted him to be a friend. And Evie could never have enough decent men in her life as far as Dani was concerned.

Joe, Dalton, and Amir were exactly the kind of men she wanted in her little girl's life. They were kind, honorable, respectful, and unselfish with their hearts. All things she hoped her daughter would look for in a partner when she grew up. Things that she found herself wishing for after she'd all but given up on having them.

Dani listened as everyone chatted around her while Evie rubbed her tiny fingers gently across the deep blueberry stained bruises that covered her neck. Strangely, they didn't hurt, but that might have been the result of her other injuries throbbing away cancelling it out.

For now.

She suspected everything was going to hurt eventually. Especially when she was no longer tethered to IV pain meds.

After a while, Evie fell asleep cradled in her good arm and she followed suit a few minutes later as the nurse came in with another dose of pain meds and a fresh bag of fluids.

When she woke up an hour later she saw Amir sound asleep in the recliner with Evie wrapped around him like a baby koala. It was like a shot of kryptonite to the heart, Dani wasn't sure how she was going to resist a man like that.

It wasn't just this moment. It was all of the moments put together. He clearly had a knack with kids, he was sweet and protective and he always seemed to know what she needed, but he was also kind to Dani. Amir listened to her without judgment, he protected her without thought, and he made her feel like more than just Evie's mom.

Maybe her brain was muddled by the whirlwind she'd experienced since he came into her life, but she owed it to herself and her little girl to see what this was. She couldn't just dismiss Amir as a knight in shining armor that was too good to be true anymore, and she knew keeping him at arms length to protect her daughter was no longer a viable or reasonable option.

Evie was all in on Amir Al Raisani, and Dani was starting to think it would be wise to follow her daughter's bet.

* * *

After three days in the hospital, Dani was ready to get home. She wanted a real shower, and a bed that didn't move every time she started to fall asleep, and blueberry pancakes.

"You ready to go?" Abbie asked as she came in with a wheel chair.

"I can walk." Dani rasped as she leered at the chair.

"I don't care if you can walk. You're a patient until you're on the curb." Abbie said with authority.

"Yes, maam." Dani said with a smile.

Her eye was still puffy, but it was no longer swollen shut though the bruises would linger for weeks Dani thought. Her arm felt a lot better in spite of the neon pink fiberglass cast that Evie had insisted on, and her throat was much better. She could only speak slightly above a whisper, but it was a vast improvement over a couple days ago.

"Joe asked me to find out if there was anything you wanted or needed while they were out. He and Amir are running to the pharmacy to get your prescriptions and Hannah and Jaz were planning to go to the grocery store." Abbie said as they walked through the hall stopping every few feet for Dani to thank the nurses and doctors who had taken such good care of her.

"No. I think I'm good, but..." Dani started.

"But, what?" Abbie asked with a smile.

"I've been craving blueberry pancakes ever since Evie brought me the cardboard masquerading as pancakes from the cafeteria yesterday morning." Dani said with a laugh.

"Pancakes, huh? With a side of syrup swirled with melted butter I bet." Abbie prodded.

"What can I say, the man makes excellent pancakes." Dani answered.

"It's really too bad that's all he's good for." Abbie quipped as a blush rose on Dani's cheeks.

"It really is." She responded.

* * *

Dani fell asleep on the couch in Joe's living room after cashing out what little energy she had on a hot shower. When she woke up, she could smell bacon and maple syrup wafting towards her as Amir approached with a plate piled high with fluffy pancakes and a little cup on the side.

"Wow, you really know how to wake a girl up." Dani said with a laugh.

"A little birdie, probably more of a seagull actually, told me you had a taste for blueberry pancakes." Amir said with a wink as he set the tray down across her lap and handed her a fork.

A moment later Abbie came in with a plate for Evie who was shadowing her as she cawed and flapped one arm like the offending bird in question.

Evie giggled out loud as she reached for one of the mini pancakes on her plate.

"Amiw made boo-bewwy minnies." Evie said as she pointed with her own mini dripping syrup on the table in front of her.

Dani wanted to cringe, but Abbie just wiped up the spill with a smile.

She closed her eyes and hummed in approval as a blueberry burst on her tongue. They were even better than she remembered.

Amir was smiling when she finally opened her eyes and said, "It's really good to see that smile again."

"It's good to be home." Dani told him as she smiled a little brighter.

Everyone filtered in a few minutes later and they enjoyed each other's company. There wasn't a single person in that room that wasn't thinking this was something they could get used to.

Family.

Hopefully the back half of this chapter will go up Sunday and then I am going to give you a couple chapters of TLAS in a row since you've been waiting forever! Hopefully early next week for the first of those, sound good?

Thanks for sticking with me and for supporting Call Me Joseph and The Light Among Shadows


	19. Walk Away

So, here we go...The end of Amir and Dani's time in Montana.

Get out the kleenex this one gets a wee bit rough.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _They say time will_  
 _Make all this go away_  
 _But it's time that has taken my tomorrows_  
 _And turned them into yesterdays_  
 _And once again that rising sun is droppin' on down_  
 _And once again you my friend are nowhere to be found_

 _And it's so hard to do_  
 _And so easy to say_  
 _But sometimes, sometimes you just have to walk away_  
 _Walk away_

 _Walk Away - Ben Harper_

* * *

The team was sitting around the living room after dinner talking. Dani was so grateful to them not only for helping her but also for taking such good care of Evie. She didn't want to think about what might have happened if they had been deployed when Morrissey had come after her.

Abbie was about to take Evie back to her place now that she'd fallen asleep in Amir's lap with Dani's finger clasped in her tiny fist. Dani couldn't help thinking because of these people, her little girl would never know how close she'd come to losing her mom.

For that she was thankful.

Her little girl would get to live in the illusion of safety that childhood offers a little while longer.

Still, Evie knew her mom was hurt, and it had been a fight to get her to let go when it was time for bed, but she'd fallen back to sleep before Amir had even made it out the front door with her in his arms with Abbie trailing behind. Jaz and Dalton headed to the loft a few minutes later.

"So, tell me about Amir," Dani whispered to McG after they left. "Am I headed for heartbreak?"

McGuire smiled, "He's not that type of guy. First off, he's spent most of his life trying to live up to an image his parents painted for him as a child."

"How do you mean?" Dani asked.

"Amir doesn't drink, he doesn't go out looking to get laid, he's not ever going to be a guy that cheats, but he also might be unavailable." McG shared.

"Unavailable?" Dani wondered aloud. "He seems pretty available to me."

"Not what I meant." McG offered. "I can't speak for Amir; you really should talk to him. He's an upfront kind of guy, he'll answer you honestly if you ask the right questions."

With that, Joseph stood and took Hannah who had been fast asleep into his arms up the steps to their bedroom.

Suddenly, Dani was all alone and full of questions she was afraid to ask.

About fifteen minutes later, Amir returned with an apology because he'd been talked into reading her daughter two bedtime stories when she woke up on the way back to Abbie's.

"For the record, doing something nice for my daughter isn't something I ever expect an apology for," Dani told him.

"Noted. Where did everyone go?" Amir asked as he sat beside her.

"Bed." She said as a faint blush crept over her cheeks.

"Mmmm. Probably where you should be headed, want me to take you?." Amir asked her before he could think better of it. "I mean, to bed...your bed...I'm just going to stop."

Dani laughed uncomfortably, "I know what you meant, but I've been napping on and off for hours, I'm not really that tired."

"Well then, how about a movie?" Amir asked.

"Sure, that sounds good."

They settled on Stephen King's It. Dani loved scary movies, but she hadn't really thought it through.

First, the new Pennywise was going to give her nightmares for weeks (not unlike the old Pennywise to be fair), and second every time she jumped two things happened. She got even closer to Amir physically, and she'd yelp in pain from the sudden movement.

Amir finally had enough, "You know what, let's raincheck the scary movie. How about we just talk."

"About?" Dani asked.

"I don't know, maybe ask me something. What do you want to know?"

"Hmmm. Anything?" She asks.

"Anything." Amir answers.

"Why are you helping me?" She asked.

"Because you're my friend," Amir stated sounding just a little uncomfortable.

"Joe is my best friend, he's not making my daughter pancake soldiers, and reading her bedtime stories. But, you did without hesitation."

"If you ever had to eat McG's cooking, you'd be happy he's not offering."

"Come on. Please don't deflect, if you don't want to talk that's fine, but you said anything."

"Fair enough." Amir conceded. "Dani, I like you. You're sweet and fun to be around; you have an adorable little girl, you are stunningly beautiful. I'd have to be blind not to notice, but I'm not sure you know what you are signing up for with someone like me."

"Then tell me."

"I'm not a good person. I've done a lot of things that make me unsuitable to be around your daughter or someone as kind as you. I gave up a part of my soul the day my sister died, and I don't think I can ever get it back." Amir said as he stood and headed to the kitchen to refill her water and get her next round of meds.

"I don't believe that." Dani shared before he got out of earshot.

He used her meds as an excuse, but he was really trying to get some breathing room because he didn't buy the line he was selling either. He did believed those things about himself, but selfishly he wanted to know what it would be like to have the love of a woman like Dani. And Evie, she had him wrapped around her little finger the second she'd fallen into his arms on the driveway.

Amir wanted everything Dani had to offer, but all he could think about was McG's comment. He didn't want to give her hope then walk away from her, or worse disappoint her.

When he came back, he handed Dani one of her pain pills and waited for her to pop it in her mouth before he gave her the glass of water, only she didn't take the pill. She set it on the table, then took the glass and placed it beside it before she turned to him and said, "I get that there is a tangled idea in your head. I don't know if it has to do with family obligations or some misguided sense of honor, but I can see it's got you twisted up."

Amir stiffened, but she wasn't finished.

"I'm a big girl if you are going to reject me that's fine. But, don't you dare reject my little girl. She adores you, and she isn't just going to forget about you because you aren't standing in front of her."

"I...I don't want to reject either of you, but I'm afraid if I give you any more of myself that I will disappoint you. Disappoint her." Amir said.

Dani rubbed the thumb of her uninjured hand over his eyebrow, as she smiled at him. Every ounce of tension seemed to reside right in that spot, and all she wanted to do was soothe it away.

"I don't know very much about you, but my daughter is an excellent judge of character, and she thinks you are worthy of her love. That's enough for me." Dani shared as she pressed her lips to his cheek. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

Dani took the pill and swallowed it down with a sip of water before standing and heading for the door. Amir was right there when her legs started to give out.

he scooped her up as though she were weightless and helped her wrap her arms around his neck.

"Easy there. I've got you." Amir hummed as he held her close and opened the front door.

He walked her down the drive under the light of the full moon to Abbie's house and delivered her right to her bed. He started to walk out before he turned back cradling her head in his hand and kissed her with a passion that had her blood thrumming under her skin in a hurry.

"You are everything I want, need even, but sometimes we don't get what we want." He said as he left her breathless.

Dani was hurt, but more than anything she was pissed off. Amir was making a unilateral decision without even asking her what she wanted.

* * *

The next morning, Amir made scrambled eggs and bacon for the whole crew. Dani was disappointed when Jaz came to help her to the house instead of Amir.

Even more so when she'd discovered Amir had gone down to the barn after he'd eaten so that he could avoid her.

Dani ate her breakfast in silence as Hannah, and Jaz did the same. Every once in a while she caught the concerned glances they sent toward each other, but her focus was on Evie who was sitting in the grass with Abbie off the back porch. What would she tell her little girl when Amir left? Would they ever even see him again?

"I can't believe you guys are leaving tomorrow," Hannah said to Jaz.

"I know, we were going to stay through the weekend, but Adam has something he needs to take care of in DC before we head off to the sun and sand," Jaz said with a smile.

"Where are you going?" Dani asked happy for the distraction.

"Bora Bora. I don't know much else, but I'm looking forward to a little time alone with Adam. We've literally never been alone without shared walls and knowing looks." Jaz laughed.

"It must be so hard to handle everyone being so up in your business," Dani said.

"It is, and it isn't. We're a family, so it's not that bad, but sometimes, you just want to be alone. But, I can't say I'm not looking forward to getting Adam all to myself, and without the threat of gunfire." Jaz added.

"Something tells me a beach, some privacy, and you in a tiny bikini is going to make Dalton a very happy man." Hannah offered.

"Oh, and I am looking forward to that. The idea of Adam totally relaxed...mmmmm, yes please." Jaz smiled.

Dani was happy for Jaz, but it made her feel a little hollow. She'd finally met someone that treated her daughter like the perfect little angel she was, and he'd pretty much shut her down.

"So, Amir shot me down last night," Dani mumbled.

"What?!" Both Hannah and Jaz shouted.

"Yep, he kissed me like it meant something then quoted The Rolling Stones," Dani said as she stared off towards the barn. "You can't always get what you want."

"What do you want?" Jaz asked as she put a hand over Dani's.

"I want a man to look at me the way your guys look at you. I want a man that loves my little girl like she's his own. Fuck...I...I think I want Amir. And he wants nothing to do with me." Dani grumbled.

"I've seen the way he looks at you, and it's not exactly screaming 'I want nothing to do with you,'" Jaz said. "It has to be hard for him though. He's spent his whole life thinking he had to marry a woman his parents would approve of, even though I don't think they've given him a seconds thought since his sister died."

"I shouldn't tell you this, Joseph would kill me, but I don't think he's ever..." Hannah didn't finish the sentence as both Dani and Jaz's eyebrows raised into their hairlines.

Dani winced as her stitches pulled, but she was shocked.

"For real?" Dani wondered aloud.

"I mean, I suspected, but..." Jaz added.

"God, I feel like such a gossip, but it might explain a little bit. Also, Joseph might have warned Amir off." Hannah shared apologetically.

"What do you mean?" Dani asked.

"I mean he said you needed some stability in your life and if Amir couldn't offer that he shouldn't get involved," Hannah explained.

"Huh. So, now he's avoiding the shit out of me, and my daughter." Dani growled.

She was pissed. That was two men that she cared about making decisions for her.

"McGuire!" Dani shouted through the house.

He came bolting into the kitchen like it was on fire, and it kind of was...or Dani was as she stood and got into his personal space.

"I am eternally grateful that you were here to help me with Morrissey, but that does not mean I need you to protect my heart. If I am walking headlong into heartbreak, then that is my choice, but I absolutely refuse to ignore my feelings when Amir just might be the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I refuse to deprive my daughter of a man that treats her like I know her father would have treated her. So, you need to butt out!" Dani shouted as she pounded her uninjured fist against his chest.

McG started to laugh, but Dani hit him again effectively silencing the big idiot. Hannah and Jaz laughed though.

Dani walked out to the driveway to catch her breath and decide what to do. She could go back to Abbie's and rest which was probably advisable, or she could confront Amir and see where he stands.

She chose the latter.

Unfortunately, she didn't take into account how exhausting the walk to the barn would be, and she could hardly stand by the time she made it to the door.

Amir saw her instantly and was at her side before she faltered.

"Why would you walk down here by yourself?" He admonished.

"I needed...to talk...to you," Dani said as she tried to settle her breathing.

She was gasping for air, and it really hurt.

"Easy, easy. Come on let's go sit down." Amir said as he helped her to the swing off the side of the barn that was currently being warmed by the morning sun.

"You're...avoiding...me," Dani said as they sat.

"I'm avoiding making this any harder for you or Evie. I'm leaving tomorrow." Amir said with resignation. "I don't want to hurt either of you, I'd never intentionally do that, but you deserve better than a couple of months at a time. You both do."

"No. What I deserve is a choice which is something you seem determined to take away from me!" Dani growled as she stood and headed straight for Abbie's.

Amir chased after her, but Dani shook him off and glared as she made it clear she didn't need his help. Or at least she didn't want it.

* * *

Dani came back up to the house around dinner time and pushed her food around her plate mostly focusing on Evie. When it was time for the little girl to go to bed, Evie insisted on Amir reading her stories. Dani tried her best to deter the child, but Evie was having none of that.

So, Dani relented. Once Evie was in bed, Dani tucked her in and left her with Amir to read her favorite story, Goodnight Moon. Dani listened from the hallway as he spoke in a low, soothing voice.

She heard the little tell-tale sigh that indicated Evie had given in to sleep, but Amir kept reading softening his tone even further. Dani smiled, but her heart ached because she knew he'd be leaving tomorrow and no matter his intent not to hurt the little girl, tears would be shed.

Truth be told, Dani was certain she'd shed a few herself.

* * *

Dani crept into her room and quietly closed the door before Amir finished so she could avoid any further awkward interactions followed by rationalizations of how this couldn't work. She just didn't think she could do it again without letting him see how much she was hurting.

A single tear fell when she saw a shadow cast in the strip of light under her door. She prayed that Amir wouldn't knock, but a small part of her still wanted him to.

After a few minutes, she listened as he walked to the door then the crunch of gravel as he headed up the driveway. That was when she let the real tears fall.

Dani didn't know why her emotions were so all over the place. Maybe it was the trauma of everything she'd been through or everything she almost lost. But, a part of her couldn't help thinking it was because she was about to give up on finding love.

Dani didn't think she was in love with Amir, not yet, but she was sure that she could be if he'd just give them a chance to see where this could go. However, she was sure that Evie was head over heels in love with the man.

That thought set off a fresh wave of tears.

* * *

The next morning, Dani was up early. Evie was quiet after she'd told her that Amir had to leave. She didn't cry, but it was clear that she didn't like the idea one bit.

"Amiw no weave," Evie stated when she saw him at breakfast.

Uh-oh.

"Oh little monkey, I'm sorry I have to go home." He said as he set a plate of mini pancakes in front of her.

"No," Evie stated matter of factly.

"I wish I could stay, but I promise I'll come back and visit." Amir conceded.

"Pwomise?" Evie asked.

"Promise," Amir said as he crossed his heart.

Dani breathed a sigh of relief that it didn't turn into waterworks, but there was no way Amir was leaving this house without Evie having an apocalyptic meltdown. If there was one certainty in her life right then, it was that.

Dani tried her level best to get Evie down for a nap before Dalton, Jaz, and Amir left, but the little girl was wise to this tactic and was having none of it.

"No mama. Amiw go why Ebie sweeps."

Well, she tried. Forcing the issue was only going to make this worse.

"Evie, could you show me how to skip rocks again?" Amir asked as he walked in on the tail end of the standoff.

Evie beamed at Amir, and Dani felt her heart sink into her gut. Maybe Amir could be the love of her life, but he was already the first great love of her daughter's life. He'd been claimed like a favorite teddy bear, and Dani wondered if there would ever be another man in her life that Evie would love and accept like Amir.

Kids were smart; they saw things that adults didn't because they haven't learned to second guess people's intentions. They sensed lies, and Evie always knew when she was being manipulated. Amir loved her. She knew it, and Dani knew it.

Knowing that wouldn't help either of them when he left though.

She watched as the pair plunked rocks into the water like they were lead and smiled, it was the calm before the storm.

An hour later, a category four hurricane hit as Evie had to say goodbye and everyone was struggling to keep their emotions in check.

"Amiw no go." Evie wailed as she clung to him like a tiny little octopus, arms and legs awkwardly latched tightly around his neck and arm.

"Oh sweetie, it's okay. Amir will come back and visit," Dani said as she rubbed her back.

Dani couldn't pull her off Amir with only one arm, so she was relying on Joe and Abbie to extract her. Evie wouldn't want to hurt her, but there was bound to be kicking and screaming and her battered body just couldn't handle that right now, neither could her heart.

"Little monkey, I made you a promise. Remember?" Amir told her with the calm voice he used to settle her at the hospital.

Evie nodded with big fat crocodile tears clinging to her cheeks and Amir struggled to keep his own tears from falling. He was wrecked by the emotional minefield cast by this tiny little girl.

Amir had been convinced he didn't want children. He'd spent so much time in the ugly underbellies of the world surrounded by violence and he knew first hand he could never protect a child from that. He'd watched that ugliness consume his sister and so many others. So, he'd given up on any hopes he'd had for a family of his own.

But, as Evie clung to his neck, all he could think about was a life where he never had to say goodbye to her. To her mother. Hell, he was half in love with that stunning beauty. She was tough as nails, but she also had a softness that he craved.

Amir convinced himself that he didn't love her, but in his gut, he knew that was only because he'd slammed the door before he could step through it. He knew with certainty that he would fall in love with her in a hot minute if he allowed himself even a sliver of hope. Just thinking about the possibility spread warmth through his chest and made all his nerves prickle with anticipation.

He was trying to spare them heartache, but as he watched Abbie carry a kicking and screaming Evie toward her house crying out for him, he knew he'd failed. Miserably.

He walked over to Dani and wrapped her in a tight hug and whispered, "I'm so sorry," before turning and walking to the car.

Just before he closed the door, Dani leaned in an placed the softest kiss on his lips as tears streaked her cheeks and whispered, "Take care of our hearts, they were never yours to protect, but they are yours all the same."

McG put the car in gear when he heard the door close and drove away. When he got to the end of the driveway, he stopped and looked back at Amir and said, "I was wrong to think she needed protecting."

Amir just continued to stare back up the driveway where Dani was still staring back at him with Hannah supporting her weight.

A single tear escaped leaving a fresh track on his cheek as they rounded the corner finally breaking his line of sight.

His heart wasn't leaving Montana intact; a few pieces would remain.

* * *

*****(I am totally not going to leave you hanging with a cliffhanger this time...)*****

* * *

Amir, Jaz, and Dalton were sitting on the tarmac waiting to be cleared to take off in Denver. A heavy rain rolled in, and they'd been sitting there for almost 40 minutes. It had gotten so bad that they were all waiting for the flight to be pushed back enough that they were sent back to the terminal.

After an hour that finally happened as high winds and hail grounded the flight indefinitely.

They stopped at one of the restaurants for a late lunch, and Amir just pushed his food around distractedly as he stared at the driving rain. Dalton was sure Amir wouldn't get on their flight in Bozeman, but he did.

Now, the longer they sat in the Denver airport, the more he thought it had been a mistake, and Amir looked like he was just waiting for any excuse to change his mind, so Dalton was going to give it to him.

"You know, one of the reasons I brought you in was because you were smart, and you saw things rationally."

"Uh, thanks," Amir said as he looked at his CO with confusion.

"I think I might have been wrong because right now you sure are being a dumb ass," Dalton said with a smirk.

Jaz rubbed her hand on his thigh and squeezed letting him know she approved of his little manipulation but otherwise stayed silent.

Amir stared at Dalton in shock. He was generally pretty measured when it came to meddling in other people's relationships. McG was usually the one giving people a push, but Amir knew it was true.

"I'm...I have to go," Amir said as he threw a couple of bills on the table and got up heading to the nearest gate attendant.

Jaz smiled as Dalton flagged down their server so they could pay their check before they followed Amir to the counter.

"We expect flights to resume within the next hour, but all of our remaining flights to Bozeman are booked solid. I'm sorry sir." The attendant told him. "I can get you on the first flight out in the morning."

His heart sank as he thanked the attendant and tried to come up with an alternative.

"It's a ten-hour drive." Jaz offered as she turned her phone towards him showing the map.

* * *

It was nearing three in the morning by the time he pulled up to the farm. He'd passed Abbie's little farmhouse in total darkness. He knew everyone would be asleep by now, so he sprinted for the front door as the rain continued to punish him.

Thankfully, it was Bozeman, so the front door was unlocked. Either that or Jaz and Dalton had informed McG that he was driving back. It didn't matter.

Amir hefted his duffle over his shoulder and headed back to the guest room where he'd been staying hoping to catch a hot shower. He was surprised when he heard his name as he passed the kitchen.

"Amir?" Dani said as she looked up at him with confusion.

He didn't want to waste any more time as he approached her cautiously with a soft smile curving his lips. He was so happy to see her. She'd been all he could think about on the drive up.

Amir was exhausted, soaked to the bone, and freezing, but also happier than he could recall being since the last time he'd heard his sister play the piano.

"We both have our reasons to hang back. You have a beautiful daughter that you want to protect from any hurt, and every reason never to trust a man with your heart again. And I've given you further reason not to trust anyone with your heart I'm afraid. And I have a lifetime of anger, and pain, and a misguided roadmap set by two people who are so utterly miserable."

"That's not exactly a great sales pitch," Dani said as she watched him shivering with the cold rain soaked clothing still clinging to his skin.

"I'm not finished," Amir said with a laugh.

Dani just nodded as she put a hand on his shoulder feeling the cold soaked fabric over the searing heat of his skin.

"The point is, if we stay the course there will always be another reason that we don't give ourselves a chance to be happy."

"I'm...I'm happy." She said as she looked towards the kitchen tiles.

"Are you?" Amir asked as he slipped a finger under her chin and raised her eyes to his.

"If Evie's happy, I'm happy." She clarified as she straightened her spine and tried to convince herself.

"You deserve so much more than that." He told her.

"So do you." She whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I don't know how to do this, any of this. I spent my whole life thinking I needed to live up to something that my parents thought was proper, and it never occurred to me that there was something more out there. Then I met you and Evie, and I forgot why my parent's ideas about what my future should look like mattered at all."

"I don't understand."

"I'm supposed to marry a nice Muslim woman, I'm supposed to save all my firsts for her, there are all these things that I'm supposed to do, or not do."

"Okay?" Dani said.

"But there is only one thing that I _want_ to do."

"What's that?" Dani asked with a million questions behind those deep emerald eyes of hers.

"This," Amir said as he brushed her hair back and let his hand rest against her neck with his thumb sweeping over her lower lip just before he slanted his lips over hers.

Dani stood stock still for seconds until her heart started to beat again in a rapid little flutter and she knew she'd never be able to keep Amir Al Raisani at arm's length. So, she threw her arms around his neck and fell into the kiss.

* * *

I just couldn't leave you with a cliffhanger.

So, there you have it. Up next Bora Bora in TLAS. Then we'll check back in with everyone in Montana.

Someone has a bit of a plan forming...I'm not ready to tell you who, or what it is...but it's coming.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one. See you in a day or two with TLAS.


	20. Find You

Well, it's been a bit. First off, let me start by saying I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted, I've been going through some stuff and let's just say it hasn't been an easy year. With that said, I am hoping that I can get back to both stories with some regularity! And that starts now with this quick little look at where we left Dani and Amir. Are you guys still interested in seeing where this goes? Let me know. Thanks for sticking with me and I hope that you enjoy Amir and Dani.

 **Last time...**

"But there is only one thing that I want to do."

"What's that?" Dani asked with a million questions behind those deep emerald eyes of hers.

"This," Amir said as he brushed her hair back and let his hand rest against her neck with his thumb sweeping over her lower lip just before he slanted his lips over hers.

Dani stood stock still for seconds until her heart started to beat again in a rapid little flutter and she knew she'd never be able to keep Amir Al Raisani at arm's length. So, she threw her arms around his neck and fell into the kiss.

_

 _If you need me,_  
 _You know where I'll be._  
 _I'll be in your heart._

 _And once our souls meet,_  
 _And there's no searching,_  
 _I'll be in your heart._

 _Don't hold your breath now,_  
 _Let the wait not slow your stride._  
 _Just stay awake,_  
 _keep the rhythm of the sun and,_  
 _When you're too tired to move on,_  
 _I'll meet you in the light._

 _Find You - Mark Diamond_

_

Dani sighed into the kiss as she pressed herself closer before letting go of a high pitched yelp.

"Cold!"

"I hadn't noticed," Amir whispered as he rubbed her trembling lip with his thumb while he stared into her eyes.

How could he have been so stupid to think he could walk away from her without at least knowing where they stood?

"We need to get you out of these wet clothes, or you'll be sick by tomorrow," Dani whispered as she thumbed the icy cold fabric.

"Dani, I'm sorry I left," He hummed as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"You're here now." She answered before she slipped the top button free.

"I...I should shower." Amir said as he felt his skin start to heat in spite of the cold surrounding him.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Dani whispered as she pulled away.

She wanted to follow him right into that bathroom, but she was afraid it was more than he was ready for and the last thing she wanted to do was give him a reason to walk away again. Though if he was going to do that Dani would prefer he did so before Evie sees him.

Dani followed Amir into the room he'd been sleeping in, in fact, she'd had every intention of surrounding herself in him that night by curling up in that very bed surrounded by his scent. She'd spent hours tossing and turning in her own bed before venturing up to the main house seeking any connection she could find to Amir.

That's how he'd found her, cleaning the kitchen trying to convince herself that it wasn't absolutely insane to crawl into a bed he'd slept in for comfort. Now all she wanted was to crawl into his arms.

Her body was aching, and her skin felt pulled tight where it was stitched together and bruised, but as she listened to the shower turn on, the only thing she was registering was relief.

Dani pulled back the covers and crawled into the bed carefully sinking into its plush warmth, and she was immediately enveloped in the spicy scent of his aftershave. Dani inhaled deeply. Once. Twice, and before she heard the water shut off she'd finally let exhaustion wash over her.

_

Amir pulled on a pair of flannel pants and walked back out into the now darkened bedroom half expecting it to be empty, but instead, he found Dani curled around his pillow humming in contentment.

"That's a sight I could get used to," Amir whispered to no one in particular.

He contemplated the couch in the next room, but he couldn't pry his eyes off her sleeping form. Amir hesitated briefly knowing that this was uncharted territory before he eased back the blankets and crawled into the bed behind Dani.

As he laid his head on the pillow and slipped his arm carefully over her hip, he took a deep breath to steady himself. It had been years since he'd allowed himself to dream about this kind of happiness. A future. But, as she mindlessly linked her fingers with his and pulled him in closer still fast asleep he allowed himself to slip into that dream once more.

_

A few short hours later, Amir awoke to the sound of Evie's shrill cries and the smell of burning toast.

He stretched carefully trying not to wake Dani and climbed from the warm cocoon of the bed they'd shared to pull on a t-shirt.

"Dani, I think there is someone on the other side of that door that needs her mommy," Amir stated as he rubbed a slow circle against the tiny portion of unblemished skin between her shoulder blades.

Dani stretched carefully but it still elicited a groan as her muscles protested and her stitches pulled uncomfortably, but she smiled to herself as she turned into the vacant spot that was still warm beside her. That was when she'd realized he'd fallen asleep with her in his arms. She smiled at the idea of Amir wrapped around her, but it was quickly replaced by a frown when she realized she'd missed the entire experience.

Dani grumbled as she threw the covers off and stepped out of bed.

"Morning," She mumbled as she leaned into Amir and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Amir wanted to pull her in and revel in whatever it was that he'd committed to, and he was committed, but the sounds of a very unhappy little girl could not be ignored.

"It sounds like Evie needs a little cheering up."

Dani opened the door and called out to Evie, but her little girl had zeroed in on the man standing behind her. So had everyone else in the room, but they didn't get a chance to say anything as Evie shrieked out in pure joy, "Amiw!"

The little girl was halfway into the air as she launched herself across the floor at him without even the slightest doubt that he'd catch her. Amir glanced at Dani who had just barely avoided a painful collision with the little whirlwind, but Evie didn't notice as she was quick to pull her mom towards Amir so she could wrap her tiny arms around the two people who were currently gobbling up all of her attention.

"Mommy, Amiw came back fow me." She stated.

"I know munchkin," Dani said with a bright smile.

"I promised. Remember?" Amir asked the little girl who suddenly tucked her little face into her mom's neck as she nodded.

_

As much as Dani wanted to talk to Amir and find out what his return meant not only for her daughter but for her, she knew that conversation was going to have to wait. Their entire day was consumed by Evie's gleeful squeals as she dragged Amir all over the farm as if he hadn't just been there a day earlier.

For her, it had been an eternity.

Dani watched as Amir led her on the back of the pony. He carefully held her in place as the willful little beast yanked his head down to the grass to alleviate the very obvious starvation his fat little belly contradicted. Every time she giggled and pat the ponies wobbly fat neck and smiled at her savior.

Her daughter was smitten with Amir, and Dani was worried about what would happen when he really did have to leave as he inevitably would. She knew it would break her heart, and Dani was becoming more and more certain her heart wasn't going to fare much better.

It had been ages since she'd allowed herself to dream of Evie having a man in her life that would show her the kind of adoration that emanated off of Amir at that moment, and now that she was witnessing it, she wasn't sure she could go back to the way things had always been.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Joe said as he carefully wrapped an arm over her shoulder.

"I'd kind of given up on that," Dani said as she pointed towards her daughter and Amir.

"For her, or for you?" He asked.

"Both I guess. I mean I thought I could find a man that would _care_ for both of us, but I certainly didn't expect to feel anything close to what I am feeling." Dani said.

"What's that?"

"Home?" Dani wondered aloud.

"I'm pretty sure you hit him like a ton of bricks too if it makes you feel any better," Joe said with a laugh.

Dani smiled.

"For as long as I've known Amir, I've never seen him show even a passing interest in a woman. He's been all business. Even in an environment where literally everyone around him is fully engaged in that pursuit. I mean, Top never chased women, but I sure did, and Jaz wasn't above seeking out a little distraction before she and Top stopped denying what was right in front of them." He told her. "And Preach was all about his wife and family and conspiring to help all of us find that same happiness."

McG stopped to think for a moment before finishing, "I'd say Preach was fairly successful on that front, wouldn't you?"

Dani laughed, "I could agree with that, but making my daughter french toast and leading her around on a pony doesn't make this real. This bubble is going to burst one day in the near future, and I don't know how I'll shield my daughter from that pain."

"You know, this isn't as black and white as you make it sound. You can't let uncertainty keep you from holding on to the good things in life with both hands. Trust me, they don't come along that often and if you think this is what could make both of you...all three of you...happy why the hell wouldn't you at least see where it goes?" Joe asked before he walked out towards the fuzzy little lawn mower.

Dani thought about it as she tried to weigh the potential with the pitfalls.

Could she risk her heart and her daughters and watch him leave again? it was inevitable, even if he had every intention of coming back, it was still going to cause pain.

It had been a long day and Evie was thoroughly worn out when she finally let exhaustion overtake the fear that Amir would be gone again when she woke up. She'd put up a fight, but after he'd read her three stories the battle was over.

Dani had been sitting in the kitchen with Abbie throughout the theatrical display with a smile that grew with each new voice Amir created.

"Life never gives you exactly what you are looking for, but sometimes it gives you exactly what you need," Abbie said as she stood leaving her alone when Amir closed the door and entered the kitchen.

Amir smiled as he reached out a hand and offered it to Dani, "We should talk."

With that he led her up to the main house only to find silence, so they sat down in the living room in front of the fire and settled in.

Amir watched her for a minute as he let his fingers gently ghost over a bruise on her cheekbone.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"I've been better, but right now that's the least of my concerns." She answered honestly.

"Dani...I...I don't know what my future holds, and I know that the uncertainties my job creates may very well be something you are unwilling to expose your daughter to, but I care about you. Both of you, and I would really like to see what our future could look like if we gave this a try."

A tear escaped as Dani sighed and said, "I want to end this. I do, because I know that inevitably there will be pain. We will have to say goodbye to you...often." Amir started to interrupt, but Dani kept talking, "I honestly don't think I have to courage to spare myself that pain and live with not knowing what we could have been."

Amir wasn't sure how to read her words.

"My gut tells me that the pain of watching you walk away just one more time would be the right thing to do for all of us, to let you disappear and hope that you'll be forgotten quickly, but my heart just doesn't agree." She whispered before she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

It was a careful exploration at first as Amir tasted a hint of iron left over from everything she'd been through, but Dani wasn't having it as she crawled into his lap and deepened the kiss.

Her fingertips grazed his scalp as she finally gave in and allowed herself to feel everything her head had been telling her to shut out.

"Please don't leave us. Promise me that you'll always come back." She whispered against his lips.

Amir knew that was a promise he shouldn't make, but that didn't stop the words falling from his lips anyway, "I promise Dani."

Amir stood from his seat on the couch with her still wrapped around him and moved carefully through the darkness as he flicked the switch extinguishing the fire and headed for his bedroom.

With Dani settled on the bed, Amir walked into the bathroom and changed into a pair of flannel pants. When he returned, Dani was under the covers and her jeans and sweater were on the floor leaving her in a camisole and he could only imagine what else.

Amir closed his eyes as he climbed in behind her and slipped his arm over her waist pulling her back into his chest with a sigh. Dani was not the woman that would make his parents happy, but at that moment he realized that he couldn't care less. They had done nothing to show they cared for his happiness, it was past time that he made his own.

"I want everything, I want you, Dani, but," He started.

"I know," She whispered as she turned in his arms. "I know that you haven't..."

"I'm sorry." He whispered as he pressed his lips to her forehead.

"For what?" She wondered as she leaned into his embrace.

"You deserve a man who..." He started, but Dani wasn't about to let him finish.

"Who treats me and my daughter with kindness? Who makes me happy? Who makes me feel like I deserve to be loved again?" She argued. "Check, check and check. Do you really think I care that you haven't had sex before?"

"No. But," Amir started only to be shut down again.

"Amir, my heart has been fluttering in my chest with nervous energy ever since you climbed into bed and wrapped your arms around me, and my skin is on fire just from the prospect of you putting your hands directly on my skin," Dani stated as she shuddered when his fingers carefully slipped beneath the edge of her camisole and connected with the skin of her lower back.

At that point, words were lost.

Amir didn't push, he just let the tips of his fingers rub a soft circle against the warmth of her skin. It wasn't the first time he'd touched a woman, (he was a virgin, not a monk), but it was the first time he'd touched a woman with no intention of throwing cold water on the situation.

Apparently, Dani wasn't of the mind to do that either as she let her fingers slide just under the elastic at the back of his flannels. It was far from indecent, but that didn't stop the satisfied groan or the skitter of electricity that was traveling up his spine.

Amir breathed in her soft floral scent as he leaned in and kissed her with all the nervous energy exploding into something else. Something more.

When her fingernails bit into the skin of his lower back and his thigh slipped between hers he could feel a sheen of sweat break over his skin just as a beautiful contented sigh fell from her lips.

"Mmmm," he hummed as he let his hand drift lower expecting satin or lace, but instead finding soft skin beneath a thin lace band. "Fuck."

Dani tried to pull Amir further towards her, but a whimper of discomfort was the bucket of cold water neither of them had the will to throw.

"Sorry," He whispered as he pulled back, "God, I'm sorry."

"I'm okay," she answered, but Dani knew he wasn't going to risk causing her pain.

"I...You have no idea, but I can't hurt you." Amir said as he pulled her into his chest and pressed a careful kiss to her lips.

"You're a good man," She hummed as she settled her cheek over his rapidly beating heart.

"I'm trying to be. For you." Amir answered linking his fingers with hers as they lay against his chest.

It wasn't long before he felt her breathing even out against his chest, so he settled in and watched her sleep until it came for him too.

_

The next morning, Dani woke to a kiss of sun on her face and the comfort of Amir's warmth at her back. It was a feeling she wanted to wake up to every day or at least every day she had with him.

"Hi," he whispered as he pulled her in closer and pressed his lips to the little spot between her neck and her shoulder that made her stomach flip just a little.

"Mmmm, g' morning," she hummed as she leaned into his embrace.

Abbie and McG took Evie down to the barn.

"What time is it?" She wondered aloud.

"10," Amir answered as he rolled to his back and pulled her with him.

Dani crawled over him and pressed her lips to his as she smiled and mumbled, "how long do you think we have?"

"Not long enough," He answered as he let his hands slide down over her bare thighs and leaned into her kiss.

She could feel every ridge of his abs beneath her fingertips and the hard ridge of his arousal pressed to her belly, but his eyes were soft and his touch whisper light as stared back at her. She could see every emotion ebbing in their depths, and she knew that no matter how many times Amir had to say goodbye to her, she would always be waiting for him to return. There was no turning back.

"I think I'm going to fall in love with you." She stated.

"And I think I'm going to love you back." He hummed as he poured his emotions into their kiss. "Both of you."

Notes: I haven't decided whether to see what McG and Hannah are up to or Dalton and Jaz...which do you want to see? I'm leaning towards McG/Hannah, but I can be persuaded ;)


	21. Good Man

I'm getting ready to do Jaz/Adam next, but I wanted to fill in the gap since the timeline on TLAS is a bit ahead of this fic before I get to that one. Because I have something big up my sleeve on that one that's going to play out in the next few chapters...but this one is kind of important getting that ball rolling and setting up a big conversation and some big events that will be a long time coming. Neither of these stories have been far from my mind, but my health dictated much of my life for the last year and I am happy to say that things have started to turn on that front. I've got a road ahead of me, but I am finally able to get back to some of the things I'd been missing out on for the last year. This was one of those things. Thanks again for sticking with me and reading and re-reading (which makes me soooo happy that you love these stories as much as I do!). It means everything to me! So, without further ado let's see where Hannah and McG are...It's not the longest chapter but it's opening the door to the future of this team in a way we haven't really talked about yet... Let me know what you think and look for Adam and Jaz (TLAS) later this week!

* * *

 _I won't hold you down, or hold you back, but I won't let you go_  
 _This ain't no one night show_

 _I heard you lookin' for a good man_  
 _To hold you with some good hands_  
 _Somebody get you through the bad land_  
 _So you lookin' for a good man_  
 _Well you lookin' at a good man now_

 _I'll climb your tower, slay your dragons, fight your battles girl_  
 _I'll take a bullet for ya, I'll take on the whole world_  
 _Don't even worry_ bout _it, I like it yeah, I gotcha girl_  
 _C'mon won't cha give it a whirl_

 _I heard you lookin' for a good man_  
 _To hold you with some good hands_

 _Good Man - Lee Brice_

* * *

McG had been excited when he heard from Top that Amir was on his way back, though he was still nervous about how things would pan out if Dani couldn't live with the life they led. That was going to be so much harder than she even knew especially with Evie being so attached to him, but after spending a couple days watching Amir with Evie, and Dani he knew deep down that they had what it took to figure it out if that's what the road they all decided to go down.

Maybe they weren't at love just yet, but they were tip toeing around it. He knew that feeling pretty well.

By the time Amir and Dani had returned for the night after putting Evie down, Joe had built a fire in the fire pit on his balcony and Hannah was lazily gliding on the breeze in the hammock watching him with a glass of wine.

"I think Preach would be a proud papa right about now." Hannah said as he came toward her.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because all of his chicks are settling down." she laughed.

"Chicks?" Joe asked incredulously.

"Oh come on, when I started with this team he was herding all of you towards the kind of happiness he had. I figured chicks was less insulting than sheep, at least chicks implies some kind of autonomy," Hannah offered with a tipsy little smile.

"Fair enough," Joe laughed as he took the glass of wine and set it on the deck as he crawled onto the sprawling surface and pulled her into his lap.

"What do you think is going to happen with the team?" Hannah wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure, but when I talk to Top about it, it sure seems like he's circling around a plan."

"Do you think he's going to walk away?" She asked.

"I do. I think he's going to have to…at least for a time. There's no way he'll be able to step that far out of line with his personal constitution. It's just not in his nature. I think he could convince himself that he was doing what was best for the team before Tehran, but Tehran was a bit of a reckoning. That was when I think he knew his relationship with Jaz was a liability. I figure he's going to make some kind of big move while we are on leave."

"Do you believe that?" She asked as she stared back at him over her shoulder.

"I do from the perspective of the rules that govern us, but at the same time, he wasn't the only one spinning off the rails. Each and every one of us would have gone to any lengths to get Jaz back, and we all made the decision together to put her in that situation in the first place. And if he hadn't been on the team at that point because of those same rules, he would have been boots on the ground pulling all the same shit to get her back, job or not…so honestly, I wish he would stay. No matter how crazy things got, I can't say I would've done things any differently…and maybe that means we are all compromised in the eyes of the DIA, but from my perspective I think we get the job done and there's something to be said for that too." Joseph said honestly.

"Do you ever think about what comes next?" Hannah asked. "I don't see you hanging it up and riding a desk, so where does it go from here?"

"Private? I mean, I've always considered doing contract work. It would allow us to do what we're good at without some of the hoops we have to jump through. Hell, we might even be able to build the team from here." McG thought aloud.

"Have you talked to Dalton about it? I mean Is that something you guys could manage together?"

"Yeah, we've tossed it around. It would take some time to put together, but between us I think we could pull the funds together, and Top has no shortage of contacts. I guess it wouldn't be the same, we wouldn't be dealing with state secrets and national security, but we already know there are more bad people in this world than there are guys like us willing to stop them, we've see how thin our team gets stretched out when we're deployed, this way, maybe we'd have some semblance of control. But honestly, I'm just the medic, we've got bigger brains in our ranks than me." Joe said with a laugh.

"Don't sell yourself short. Every one of you is pretty indispensable from where I sit." Hannah said as she squeezed his arms tighter around her.

"That's a nice thing to say." He whispered as he kissed the side of her forehead.

"It's also true." She whispered as she leaned into him. "The world needs as many people watching over them like this team as they can get, even if they never know you're there. And I think you guys even proved your point, because Dani wouldn't be downstairs right now if it hadn't been for all of you."

Joseph thought about that for a minute before he smiled and said, "Yeah, maybe Dalton and I need to have a more serious discussion about this."

"Joseph, I knew you were a good man because I worked with you, and a better man when I got to know you. For as much as the team has landed in hot water with the DIA brass, I know that there are people who are alive and safe because you guys have been there for them on the worst day of their life. So, if it's not going to be with the DIA, then I'm with you wherever this journey takes you."

"You have to say that because I put a ring on your finger."

Hannah glanced down at the ring in question with a smile and said, "You did, but you saved me too. I was in such a dark place when you blew into my life, and if it hadn't been for your easy sort of unflappable manner, I may never have stepped into the light. I had no idea how to move forward from my past, and I wasn't even sure that I wanted to. I mean in a way, I had made the decision to live in solitude and work towards helping others like me with Patricia and Noah. That was the life I thought I deserved, it was the only life I thought I could have, but then you turned up."

"Pretty girl you did the hard part." Joseph hummed in her ear as he pulled her further into his embrace.

"No, Joseph. I walked into that bar after dinner planning to have a one night stand if I could ever get up the nerve to let you see me. And that probably would have been the most memorable night of my life, if you'd allowed me to have just that. I pegged you as a charming playboy, but what I got was the most caring, and compassionate man who was willing to give me whatever I needed. Even if I had asked you for just one night."

"That's not entirely true baby girl." McG shared. "Yes, I was prepared to rock your world for one night, but I was already concocting ways to see you again before the waitress had even filled my coffee cup the next morning."

"You were?" Hannah said with a smile.

"I was. I took the most beautiful woman in that bar to my room that night, but beauty doesn't even crack the top ten list in terms of the reasons I knew I had to see you again. You are the strongest woman I've ever met. Here I was a virtual stranger and you put every ounce of your vulnerability on display…for me. It was the first time in my life that I felt like I was worthy of something like that, of someone like you. Your trust in me made me realize that I had so much more to give than I ever gave myself credit for. And I wanted to be the man that you saw that night, not just the guy that was quick with the joke and great in the sack." Joseph said with his best five alarm panty melting smile.

"Such humility," Hannah giggled.

McG just smiled and said, "That was the first best night of my life, and they've gotten better every night since pretty girl."

"Mine, too." Hannah said on a sigh as she curled into his warm embrace and settled her head over the steady cadence of his heartbeat.

* * *

After a couple of days, Amir and Dani were getting into a routine with Evie and figuring out where they stood, while McG and Hannah continued to talk about plans for the future of the team. So, McG had left a message for Top who was in Bora Bora with Jaz. He'd been hoping to talk to him, but he honestly couldn't blame the guy for ghosting him, because he doubted he'd be jumping up and down to call anyone if he had crystal blue waters, sun, sand, and his girl in a bikini.

He knew Top would get back to him when he found the time.

* * *

McG's phone was vibrating on the nightstand as the sun had just started to creep over the horizon on Sunday morning.

He glanced at Hannah and pressed a kiss to her temple before he climbed out of bed and carried the phone down to the kitchen to put coffee on.

"This better be good Top, my girl was looking all kinds of pretty in my bed. What do you need at this early hour?" Joe asked around a yawn.

Dalton laughed and said, "It's the middle of the night here, and I feel you, I didn't want to take a second away from Jazzy either."

"Fair. So, what's going on? I assume you two are having a nice time. See any daylight or just the inside of a bedroom?" Joe asked.

"It's pretty quiet here, our little bungalow is the only one rented on this end of the island. No one to complain if there's no one to see you know what I mean. Which is why I'm going to be kicking myself for asking you this, but here goes. Do you think you can orchestrate a little something for me without letting it get back to Jazzy?"

"Probably. What did you have in mind?" McG asked.

They two of them spoke for over an hour as they hammered out all the dominoes that needed to fall into place. McG was sure he could help his friend out, he just needed to make a few phone calls and set some things in motion.

As he hung up the phone, Hannah came down the stairs smiling brightly, "What's got you up so early?"

"I've got a secret plan to execute, and you're just the person to help me with it!" McG said as he pulled her in for a blistering hot kiss. "I'll tell you all about it right after I get you back into our bed."

Hannah laughed as he picked her up and dragged her legs behind his back grabbing two travel mugs of coffee and making his way back up the stairs.

"I've got big plans for all the nothing we are going to do today." Joseph said as he pressed his lips to the pulse point in her neck. "Then I'll tell you all about our secret plan, so long as you promise it won't get back to Jazzy."

Hannah smiled, she loved surprises and if McG and Top were plotting this was bound to be a good one.


End file.
